Montclair Meat Co., Inc., a Montclair, Calif., establishment is recalling approximately 53,000 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The products subject to recall include: Various pound packages of “MONTCLAIR MEAT CO. GROUND BEEF” Various pound... [more]

As I walked up and down the aisles of my local grocery store today, it was difficult not to think about the number of food recalls and alerts which have recently surfaced. Campylobacter in raw milk….  E. coli in ground beef…. Salmonella in HVP….. Listeria in deli meat….  Norovirus in oysters …. According to recent news articles, food poisoning related bacteria have hit grocery store shelves,... [more]

The recent outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 in a Vancouver, Washington day care is a powerful reminder that the family of virulent E. coli that includes E. coli O157:H7 is not your average food poisoning pathogen. Four children that attended the daycare facility have been sickened with serious illnesses caused by the dangerous bacteria; one four year old boy has already lost his tragic battle with the microbe. State... [more]

Being from Louisiana, I’m obviously excited about this year’s Super Bowl.  We’re cheering for our New Orleans Saints in their first ever Super Bowl appearance.  As the countdown to kick-off begins, the USDA would like to remind football fans to play it safe during Super Bowl festivities.  Here’s their official release: When planning a Super Bowl XLIV party, hosts should have a defensive... [more]

A 2008 study published by the Agricultural Research Service examined E. coli O157:H7 and beef tenderization.  The article  discussed the concerns that E. coli bacteria is frequently associated with ground beef, but has also been seen in mechanically tenderized beef products. The study examined the depth into which the tenderizing blades could insert E. coli bacteria into the meat. This was done in... [more]

Adams Farm Slaughterhouse, LLC., an Athol, Mass., establishment, is recalling approximately 2,574 pounds of beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. This recall was initiated after the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) confirmed a positive ground beef sample for E.... [more]

Several state health departments, CDC, and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) are investigating a multi-state outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infections. On October 31, 2009, FSIS issued a notice about a recall of approximately 545,699 pounds of ground beef products from Fairbank Farms that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.... [more]

Here is an interesting response to Representative George Miller’s request that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigate E. coli and school lunches by John Maday, an editor for Drovers Magazine, a periodical devoted to the cattle industry. The editorial is a below:  It’s difficult to argue against protecting students from food-borne illness, but this investigation seems excessively... [more]

The American Meat Institute (AMI) has recently been urging the Food Safety & Inspection Service to move forward with the AMI’s petition requesting that beef processors be allowed to irradiate beef to kill potential foodborne pathogens. In a letter to the FSIS, AMI executive vice president James Hodges, said that irradiation could provide “substantial food safety benefits” and... [more]

Ground poultry products have been gaining in popularity as an alternative to ground beef. The ground poultry is lighter in flavor and is often lower in fat making it a good choice for the health conscious consumer who doesn’t want to sacrifice his or her favorite dishes to a heart healthy diet. As with all raw meats there should be special consideration to the handling of ground poultry. But in a... [more]