Recall Strikes Close to Home

Just when we think we have had a respite from the specter of E. coli, we’re reminded that it still constitutes a persistent threat to human safety.

This time, the recall strikes close to home.

Arko Veal Company, a business based in Forest Park, Ga., voluntarily recalled 1,900 pounds of ground beef products because of possible E.coli O157:H7 contamination, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced Oct. 13.

The beef products were produced between Oct. 7 and Oct. 9 2007, and were distributed to restaurants in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. There was no retail distribution of these products.

The problem was discovered through routine FSIS microbiological testing. FSIS has not turned up any reports of illness associated with consumption of these products.

The recall once again should underscore the risks associated with any raw meat product, even those cooked and served at restaurants, says Dr. Jean Weese, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System food scientist and Auburn University professor of nutrition and food science.

“Whenever you order any ground beef, hamburger or meatloaf, the meat needs to be cooked to well done,” Weese says.

“That means no red or pink in the middle.”

There is always the possibility of contamination associated with any raw product.

“If we tested everything for the presence of bacteria, such as E. coli, we probably never would buy raw products again.”

The most adequate safeguard against bacteria in the home remains adequate cooking. But consumers also must take responsibility even when dining out.
No raw meat product — chicken, pork or meat — is safe unless it’s cooked to the right internal temperature, Weese says. The USDA recommends cooking any ground beef to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Eating a red or pink beef patty without first making sure it has been cooked to the right temperature is considered a major risk factor associated with exposure to E. coli O157:H7.

The only way to make sure it’s been adequately cooked is to use an accurate food thermometer.

Ironically, while many people heed this advice when preparing raw meat at home, they often become complacent away from home, she says.

“It still amazes me that people will go into a restaurant and order a hamburger that is not well done,” she says. “I see it over and over again.”

“When any server asks you how you want your hamburger cooked, you shouldn’t respond with anything other than well done,” she says, adding that “just because a restaurant or restaurant chain has a good reputation doesn’t mean that any undercooked meat will be any safer.”

The product subject to recall includes: Fifty-pound cases of "BEEF PATTIES MIX," "80/20."

Each case bears the establishment number "Est. 20766" inside the USDA mark of inspection and a product code of "502250." Each case bears a production date of "07-Oct-07," "08-Oct-07" or "09-Oct-07."

Posted by Jim Langcuster at October 22, 2007 03:09 PM