Thread: E. coli Cases Linked To Beef Sold At Whole Foods

E. coli Cases Linked To Beef Sold At Whole Foods
Health Officials Report Another Case Of E. coli

UPDATED: 2:32 pm EDT August 8, 2008

BOSTON -- Another E. coli case linked to ground beef has been identified in a Massachusetts resident, bringing the number of confirmed cases in the state to seven, state health officials announced Friday.

Public health interviews with affected individuals revealed that they ate ground beef products from Whole Foods Markets during the month of July.

Based on this information, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health is advising consumers not to eat any fresh ground beef product purchased at Whole Foods Market between June 2 and Aug. 6. This includes ground beef and ground beef patties from the meat counter as well as from the prepackaged meat cooler.

Any remaining product should be thrown out. Consumers are also advised to check their freezers for ground beef products they may have purchased last month and frozen.

Although the illnesses allegedly linked to Whole Foods Market are in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, the company is broadening the voluntary recall to the other states including: Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, Massachusetts, Florida, New Jersey, New York, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington D. C., Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Canada.

"At Whole Foods Market, one of our top priorities is consumer safety, and we go to great lengths to ensure the safety and quality of our meats," said Edmund Lamacchia, global vice president of procurement. "We are currently cooperating with the USDA, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Montgomery County Health Department in Pennsylvania as part of a routine multi-state investigation into these confirmed cases of E. coli 0571:H7 infection."

Officials from the supermarket chain have cooperated with staff from DPH during the agency’s investigation to determine the source of the contamination. Preliminary findings suggest that ground beef products that were previously identified as part of a nationwide recall may have entered the retail supply at Whole Foods during June and July.

Last month, the United States Department of Agriculture announced the extension of a national recall for ground beef produced by Nebraska Beef, Ltd. due to possible E. coli contamination. Nebraska Beef produces products under the Coleman brand name, and a review of records from Whole Foods indicates that some of the stores received product from the recall list. At this time, it is not known why the food listed under the USDA recall was sold to the public after the recall date.

DPH, USDA and Whole Foods are continuing to investigate the outbreak and will provide additional information as it becomes available. Whole Foods has removed from their stores all ground beef product from Nebraska Beef as a precautionary measure.

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/asseeno ... etail.html

I have to wonder if this is due to lax standards at these plants, or it is the employees they hire, who are not being as careful, due to a number of things, such as, limited English, no training and lacking management.

Either way, it is becoming such an issue that Americans need to start asking who these plants are hiring, and what the standards are like, before we buy their products.

I recently saw a 'comedy' routine by George Lopez where he pretended to be an angry mexican field worker and wiped the food he was handling on his rear end and his audience roared with laughter and applause. I won't watch ANY of his routines anymore.
I view his disgusting actions as encouragement for others to also contaminate the food they handle. now let's see where does E,coli come from?,Actions like lopez encourages and finds so funny

"...said Edward Lamucchia, GLOBAL vice president of procurement." Once business is able to declare themselves entirely "without borders", we will be unable to enforce any national standards on them or their executives at all! Obviously that is a driving force behind "globalization".

wavleyg, Lopez is a class "A" jerk and racist! He does seem to encourage this kind of stuff constantly.

Any remaining product should be thrown out. Consumers are also advised to check their freezers for ground beef products they may have purchased last month and frozen

WHY IS IT WITH ALL THESE RECALLS THAT THE CONSUMER HAS TO THROW AWAY THE PRODUCT? WHY DONT THEY TELL THEM TO RETURN THE PRODUCT TO GET THEIR MONEY BACK? WHOLE FOODS AND OTHERS IN THE PAST STILL GET PAID FOR AN UNUSABLE PRODUCT. IF THEY ARE AFRAID THAT RETURNED PRODUCTS MIGHT BE RESOLD, THEN THEY SHOULD HAVE A CENTRAL PLACE TO RETURN PRODUCTS ....RETURN THE MONEY TO THE CONSUMER AND SEND THE BILL TO THE RESPONSIBLE OUTLET...IN THIS CASE WHOLE FOODS.

I'm sure I bought meat from WF in that timespan. None of us got sick luckily. I always felt safer buying organic meat but now aparently that isn't even safe. I'm trying a local supply now. I don't think I'll be getting it from WF anymore!