Foodborne Illness Results in Two Separate Recalls

Chautauqua, NYTwo recent cases of foodborne illness—which may or may not be related—bring more attention to the food production industry and alleged lapses in safety and quality control that have resulted in food poisoning, including two deaths.

Within the last several days Fairbank Farms of Ashville, New York recalled nearly half a million pounds of ground beef that officials, according to the November 3rd edition of the Buffalo News, suspect has been already consumed. So far there have been two deaths. Officials are working to determine if the demise of one person in New York and another in New Hampshire can be traced to the Fairbank Farms product.

A total of 26 people have been sickened across the Northeast. The Massachusetts Department of Health, working with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has determined that there is an association between fresh ground beef products manufactured by Fairbank Farms and illnesses in three states.

The recall and subsequent investigation comes on the heels of another apparently unrelated outbreak of foodborne illness affecting more than 20 children and adults from Rhode Island who fell ill after eating ground beef at Camp Bournedale, a nature camp in Plymouth, Maryland.

Health officials determined that E. coli O157:H7 found in the ground beef was the same strain found in two of the sick children. E. coli is especially troublesome in children, the elderly and persons with weakened immune systems. In a small number of cases the particular strain of E. coli found in the children can cause a rare but serious problem called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS)—a disease that affects the kidneys and the blood clotting system. It starts about a week after the diarrhea begins and affects more children than adults.

Ground beef consumed at the camp was recalled last week by South Shore Meats in Brockton.

The recall by Fairbank Farms, meanwhile involves packaging bearing the number "EST. 492" inside the USDA mark or on the nutrition label. The recalled ground beef was packaged over a two-day span September 15th and 16th of this year and may have been labeled at retail stores with a sell-by date of between September 19th through September 28th, 2009.

Both recalls are voluntary, given that federal regulators do not have the authority to recall food products suspected of being tainted. Consumer advocates have long criticized the ability of the massive food industry to essentially regulate itself while consumers continue to get sick.