Topps Beef Recall

Nearly 21.7 million pounds of ground beef and related products suspected of E.coli contamination has been recalled by Topps Meat Company of Elizabeth, New Jersey. The suspected beef is known to have sickened 25 people in eight states so far. Of those, three are known to have contracted E.coli from the beef, with a further 22 reports under investigation.

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Initially 332,000 pounds were voluntarily recalled by the manufacturer, in concert with the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Illnesses were reported in Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the symptoms of E. coli O157:H7 - the worst strain - are diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, and malaise. Symptoms can begin two to five days after food is eaten and can last about eight days. Some, especially the very young, have developed Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome that causes acute kidney failure. A similar illness, Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, may occur in adults.

The recalled meat represents all Topps brand products with either a 'sell by' date, or a 'best if used by' date of September 25th 2007 to September 25th 2008. The recalled hamburger also features a USDA establishment number of EST 9748.

Recalled Topps Beef:

Retail Products:

2-pound boxes of "Topps 100% Pure Ground Beef Hamburgers, 8 Quarter Pounders." Each box bears a sell-by date of "JUL 12 08." UPC #74701-00065

2-pound boxes of "Topps 100% Pure Ground Beef Hamburgers, 3 OZ., 10 COUNT." Each box bears a sell-by date of "JUL 12 08." UPC #74701-00125

3-pound boxes of "Topps 100% Pure Ground Beef Hamburgers, 6 OZ. PUB Burgers." Each box bears a sell-by date of "JUN 22 08." UPC #74701-00045

3-pound boxes of "Topps 100% Pure Ground Beef Hamburgers, 16 Hamburgers." Each box bears a sell-by date of "JUL 23 08." UPC #74701- 00005.

5-pound boxes of "Topps 100% Pure Ground Beef Hamburgers, 20 Quarter Pounders." Each box bears a sell-by date of "JUN 22 08," "JUL 12 08" or "JUL 23 08." UPC #74701-00055.

8-pound boxes of "Topps 100% Pure Ground Beef Hamburgers, 32 Quarter Pounders." Each box bears a sell-by date of "JUN 22 08," "JUL 12 08" or JUL 23 08." UPC #74701-00185.

3-pound boxes of "Topps 100% Pure Ground Beef Hamburgers, 12 Quarter Pounders." Each box bears a sell-by date of "JUN 22 08," "JUL 12 08" or "JUL 23 08." UPC #74701-00025.

Nov-12-07 Update:

"We represent seven of the people who have been impacted by this outbreak," says lawyer William Marler, "and filed two lawsuits in New York: one in Ithaca and the other in Albany." Marler adds that so far, 40 people have reported being sickened by the virulent 0157:H7 strain of the E. coli bacteria.

These people share the same genetic fingerprint of the E coli bacteria in their stool as the E coli bacteria found in the recalled Topps meat. "Consumers should keep the Topps boxes but the most important thing is to collect a stool culture, no matter how sick they are," says Marler. "The fact that these people are culture-positive leaves very little room for Topps to maneuver with respect to causation. If someone is a match to the outbreak strain, the only argument will only be how much the case is worth."

Foodservice Products:

10-pound boxes of "BUTCHER'S BEST 100% ALL BEEF PATTIES 75/25, 6 OZ. FLAT, 27 PIECES." Each box bears a sell-by date of "JUL 23 08."

10-pound boxes of "BUTCHER'S BEST 100% ALL BEEF PATTIES 75/25, 4 OZ. (4-1), 40 PIECES." Each box bears a sell-by date of "JUL 23 08."

10-pound boxes of "KOHLER FOODS 4 OZ. FLAT HAMBURGER, 40 PCS." Each box bears a sell-by date of "JUL 23 08."

10-pound boxes of "KOHLER FOODS 6 OZ. FLAT HAMBURGER, 27 PCS." Each box bears a sell-by date of "JUL 23 08."

10-pound boxes of "KOHLER FOODS 8 OZ. FLAT HAMBURGER, 20 PCS." Each box bears a sell-by date of "JUL 23 08."

10-pound boxes of "SAND CASTLE FINE MEAT, 100% PREMIUM BEEF HAMBURGERS 80/20, 8 OZ. FLAT, 20 COUNT." Each box bears a packed on date of "JUN 22 08."

10-pound boxes of "SAND CASTLE FINE MEAT, 100% PREMIUM BEEF HAMBURGERS 85/15, 6 OZ. FLAT, 27 COUNT." Each box bears a packed on date of "JUN 22 07."

10-pound boxes of "Topps 100% PREMIUM HAMBURGERS 5 OZ. (1/2")." Each box bears a sell-by-date of "JUN 22 08."

10-pound boxes of "Topps HAMBURGERS, 3.2 OZ, 50 COUNT." Each box bears a sell-by date of "JUL 12 08."

10-pound boxes of "Topps 100% PREMIUM HAMBURGERS, 8 OZ. (Pub Burger)." Each box bears a sell-by date of "JUL 23 08."

10-pound boxes of "Topps 100% PREMIUM HAMBURGERS, 4 OZ. (4-1) Homestyle." Each box bears a sell-by date of "JUL 23 08."

10-pound boxes of "WESTSIDE, 100% PREMIUM HAMBURGER, 8 OZ. FLAT, 20 COUNT." Each box bears a sell-by date of "JUN 22 08."

10-pound boxes of "WESTSIDE, 100% PREMIUM HAMBURGER, 6 OZ FLAT, 27 COUNT." Each box bears a sell-by date of "JUN 22 08."

10-pound boxes of "WESTSIDE 100% PREMIUM HAMBURGER, 5 OZ FLAT, 32 COUNT."

Topps Beef Recall Legal Help

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Last updated on May-14-14

LEGAL ARTICLES AND INTERVIEWS

Topps E. coli Beef: The Lost 18 Days

January 21, 2008

Elizabeth, NJ: It grew to become the second-largest beef recall in US history. And yet an 18-day delay issuing the Topps beef recall after the first positive E. coli test put consumers at risk. READ MORE

Topps Beef Recall: Erring on the Side of Disaster

January 14, 2008

Elizabeth, NJ: Now that Topps Meat has gone into bankruptcy and the federal USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has promised to tighten up its food inspection protocols in the wake of the 21.7 million-pound recall of Topps products, it's time to ask a simple question: Was this trip necessary? READ MORE

Topps Assets Sold, USDA Vows to Make Improvements

January 12, 2008

Elizabeth, NJ: In one of the first positive steps to come out of the massive Topps beef recall in late 2007, a new program announced January 4th by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) will see enhanced risk-based sampling and testing for the nasty E. coli 0157:H7 pathogen in raw ground beef. READ MORE

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READER COMMENTS

Posted by
New Jersey
on October 6, 2007

I developed severe, constant & painful diarrhea with stomach discomforts for approx. 3 weeks. I thought it was my Irritable Bowel Syndrome in overdrive. Turns out it was a result from eating Topps hamburgers. I had taken 40 pills of Xifanan for a 10 day period. Thank God it helped. I had missed some time from my job due to the stomach pains.