E. coli warning spurs recall of May’s meat

Ground beef produced in mid-April can be returned for a refund

STORY SUMMARY »

E. coli, a potentially nasty germ that strikes the intestines, prompted the recall yesterday of 68,670 pounds of ground beef by Palama Meat Co.

Affected are May's Teriyaki Beef Patties, May's Beef Picnic Patties and other May's brand products in boxes, trays and cylindrical plastic packaging known as chubs.

Palama, the state's largest meat processor, distributed about 4,500 cases of the suspect ground beef to retail establishments, restaurants and commissaries in Hawaii. By the time the recall was announced, the company had recovered 40 percent of the recalled product, a release said.

ROBERT SHIKINA

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Star-Bulletin staff> Palama Meat Co. said yesterday it is recalling nearly 70,000 pounds of ground beef because it might be contaminated with E. coli.

The voluntary recall affects 68,670 pounds of May's brand ground beef products processed at a Kapolei plant between April 9 and 21.

Consumers with any of the listed products should return the product to the point of purchase for a refund. Grocers and distributors have been asked to pull the product from shelves.

No illnesses have been reported in connection with the meat recall, said the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Palama, the state's largest meat processor, distributed about 4,500 cases of the affected ground beef to retail establishments, restaurants and commissaries in Hawaii. By the time the recall was announced, the company had recovered 40 percent of the recalled product, a company release said.

According to the news release, the recalled meat was made from a batch of raw material purchased from an outside vendor. Company officials found the problem through company testing and notified the USDA.

"These specific products are being recalled because E. coli O157:STX1 and STX2 were detected in some of the remaining unused raw material," the release said. "It is important to note that none of the products being recalled have tested positive for E. coli."

A potentially deadly strain of the common bacteria, E. coli O157:H7, can also cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration. Children, seniors and people with weak immune systems are most susceptible to food-borne illnesses.

A spokeswoman for the state Department of Health said the state is not involved in the case. She said the state's last reported case of E. coli was in March.

The Kapolei-based company said it is the first meat recall in its 55-year history. In the last 10 years, Palama has processed more than 80 million pounds of product, the company said.

Recalled beef products

Here is a list of the Palama Meat Co. products that have been recalled. Consumers should return any of the following products with the associated lot codes to the point of purchase for a refund. Each product has a label with a production lot code, which is the date of production listed by year, day, then month:

» May's Teriyaki Beef Patties, 6- and 10-pound boxes of quarter-pound and one-third-pound patties. The boxes have product codes 157400, 157600 or 157700 and production lot codes 080904, 081004, 081104, 081504, 081604, 081704, 081804 or 082104.

» May's Beef Picnic Patties, 24-pound bulk boxes with product code 158700 and production lot codes 081104 or 081804.

» May's Beef Patties, 3:1 Layer Pack in 10-pound boxes with product code 158325 and production lot codes 081004 or 081704.

» May's Ground Beef Family Pack in 3-pound trays with product code 410751 and production lot code 081604.

» May's brand course ground and fine-ground beef products in 5- and 10-pound cylindrical packets, or chubs. Recalled packages have the following product codes: 141115, 141120, 143915, 141420, 144150, 144155, 144200, 144205, 144209, 145410, 145420, 151115, 151415, 151430 or 153220. These products also bear the production lot code 080904, 081504, 081604, 081704, 081804 or 082104.

All products, except for some bulk pack chubs of ground beef, will also have the establishment number EST. 11077 inside the USDA mark of inspection.