E Coli Found in Topps Meat, 21.7 Million Pounds of Meat Recalled

Topps Meat Company LLC, located in Elizabeth, NJ, has voluntarily expanded its recall announced on September 25 to include 21.7 million pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.

This represents all products produced by Topps with a "sell by date" or "best if used by date" that falls between September 25, 2007 and September 25, 2008. This information may be found on the back panel of the package.

All recalled products will have a USDA establishment number of EST 9748, which is located on the back panel of the package and/or in the USDA legend. As of a few hours ago, nearly 30 people had been confirmed ill in at least 8 states. That number is certainly expected to rise.

In addition, Topps had a smaller, but similar problem in 2005 when its product was linked to an E. coli-caused HUS illness.

This recall tops the Con Agra recall of 19,000,000 pounds in 2002 that sickened over forty and killed one and is just under the 25,000,000 pounds recalled by now-bankrupt Hudson Foods in 1997. On top of that, E. coli illnesses and outbreaks are becoming an all too common occurrence in 2007. A few examples:

1. At least thirteen people have been confirmed ill with E. coli O157:H7 infections after eating ground beef produced by United Food Group sold in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming and Montana. Over 5,700,000 pound of meat have been recalled.

2. Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc. recalled 40,440 pounds of ground beef products due to possible contamination with E. coli O157:H7. No illnesses yet reported.

3. Seven Minnesotans were confirmed as part of the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that prompted PM Beef Holdings to recall 117,500 pounds of beef trim products that was ground and sold at Lunds and Byerly's stores.

4. Twenty-seven people have been confirmed ill with E. coli O157:H7 infections in Fresno County. The Fresno County Department of Community Health inspected the "Meat Market" in Northwest Fresno, the source of the outbreak.