The USDA announced a recall of beef products today. Town and Country Foods Inc., a Greene, Maine establishment, is recalling approximately 2,057 pounds of ground and tenderized beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. (The official USDA announcement is not yet up on the agency’s website.)
The following products are subject to recall:
- 5- and 10- lb. boxes of 2-, 2.6-, 3-, and 4- oz. “Town & Country Foods XL Hamburg Patties”
- 5- and 10- lb. boxes of 2-, 2.6-, 3-, and 4- oz. “Town & Country Foods Hamburg Patties”
- 10- lb. box containing variously weighted bags of “Town & Country Beef for Stewing”
- 6-, 8-, and 10- oz. “Town & Country Beef Sirloin Filets”
- 5- and 10- lb. boxes containing variously weighted bags of “Town and Country Hamburg”
- 5- and 10- lb. boxes containing variously weighted bags of “Town and Country XL Hamburg”
The recalled products all bear a label with the establishment number “EST. 9710” inside the USDA mark of inspection. Additionally, the products contain the following packaging codes: 10952, 10962, 10972, 11002, and 11012. The products subject to recall were produced between April 4, 2012 and April 10, 2012 and were shipped to wholesale and retail establishments in Maine.
The recall resulted from “company lab testing which confirmed a positive result for E.coli O157:H7.” Interestingly, Town and Country did not hold product pending test results, resulting in this recall. It is hard to figure out what the purpose of testing the product is if you don’t hold the product while you wait for the results. Hopefully, none of the product will reach consumers, but some of it was produced a week ago.