October 30th, and November 6th, 2007.
Most will recall—pardon the pun—that the news media last fall was inundated with coverage of what was then the largest meat recall in some time. The massive Topps beef recall, which totaled 21.7 million pounds of product, eventually scuttled operations at the Topps meat processing plant and forced the company to close. The company's hard assets and trademarks—including several thousand pounds of potentially tainted beef still in storage—were auctioned off early in the New Year.
Thus, amidst a media swirl just prior to, and just after Halloween of 2007, somehow 188,000 pounds of beef products were processed and released--potentially carrying the E. coli 0157:H7 bacterial strain, the effects of which can be devastating and potentially deadly for small children, the elderly, or people with weakened immune systems.One would assume that any meat processing facility worth its salt would pull up its boot straps during such a time, review processes and protocol with a view to prevent such a devastating event like that which befell Topps (and others), from touching them.
Apparently not.
As a result, ground beef patties and other meat products manufactured by the Rochester Meat Company of Minnesota are believed to have sickened four people in Wisconsin, and a fifth in California. While the products at the center of the Class 1 recall were not sold in retail stores, the products were nonetheless shipped to distributors nationwide, for further distribution to restaurants and food service institutions.
A complete list of affected products, including lot numbers, can be found here.
The fact that the recall is deemed Class 1 is not to be taken lightly. A Class 1 recall suggests a reasonable probability that consumption of the product could cause serious health concerns, and even death.
While most healthy people will recover fully from hemorrhagic colitis, the sudden onset of severe stomach pain and abdominal cramps can overwhelm even the strongest individual. The diarrhea that usually follows is watery and bloody, and when coupled with the potential for vomiting, can result in severe fluid loss and dehydration.
In a worst-case scenario, the onset of hemolytic uremic syndrome can be a life-threatening adverse reaction, especially for those with greater exposure to such an assault on bodily functions.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) in Atlanta estimates that E. coli 0157:H7 carries the potential for sickening 73,000 people every year.
Of those, 60 will die. It is not known if the E. coli contamination is a result of conditions inherent to the processing plant, or with the meat itself.
As time goes on, there is a growing trend in the meat industry to source raw meat materials, including trims, from offshore locations.
Rochester Meat Company, whose web site boasts 'your trusted source for quality foods and exceptional service,' initiated the voluntary recall January 18th.