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Hannaford beef recall
By Andrew Amelinckx
COLUMBIA COUNTY — If you’re a Hannaford Supermarket shopper and have a tendency to freeze fresh beef, you may want to pull it out of cold storage and look at the date. A Colorado based beef company has expanded a voluntary recall that began last week with 41,000 pounds of tainted meat and was expanded Sunday to include another 380,000 pounds of beef possibly contaminated with E. coli, some of which may have been sold to Hannaford.
“The date range is between April 28 and June 6,” said Hannaford spokesperson Mike Norton. He said that “out of an abundance of caution” any of their beef products with those dates can be brought in and refunded or exchanged.
He said that all the beef within this range wasn’t necessarily contaminated, but that they weren’t taking any chances.
“We’re trying to take a complex situation and simplify it,” he said.
According to Hannaford, E. coli O157:H7 is “a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration, and in the most severe cases, kidney failure.”
Hannaford’s warning was for consumers in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont. Norton wouldn’t specify whether any of the beef in question made its way into the Hannaford Supermarkets in Valatie or Red Hook, but asked consumers in the area to check their freezers.
Brazilian owned and Greeley, Colo., based JBS Swift Beef Company began the voluntary recall after the USDA investigated 24 illnesses in multiple states, 18 of which appear to have the same cause.
According to Tony Corbo, a legislative representative for consumer watchdog group Food and Water Watch, this isn’t the first time the plant where the beef originated from has had this type of problem.
“This plant has gone through three changes of ownership within the last seven years,” he said. “In 2002 when it was owned by ConAgra it was involved in one of the biggest beef recalls in history.”
Nearly 19 million pounds of beef due to E. coli contamination was recalled at that time.
Corbo said that like this case, the recall started small and expanded.
“It might be a bigger problem,” he said of the JBS recall.
According to Corbo, the contamination is likely due to a sanitation issue at the plant and the speed at which the meat passes on conveyer belts, making it harder for workers and USDA inspectors to catch problems. He said it was less likely to be a “grinder level” problem, meaning that it wasn’t an issue with the supermarkets that purchased the JBS beef to grind for hamburger.
“Let’s hope it another wake up call for the USDA,” he said.
He and others take issue with the USDA’s policy on adulterated meat, which, he said, will only recall meat once it has gotten to the grinder level. “One step away from consumers,” he said.
A statement by JBS spokesperson Chandler Keys defends the company and seems to lay the blame with Hannaford and others.
"It is important for consumers to note that the recalled product from the date in question was sold by JBS as whole muscle cuts, not as ground beef. The ground beef that might have been associated with illness was produced by other companies who often do not use the antimicrobial intervention steps we employ in our facility to reduce the risk of the beef products. Nevertheless, we have agreed to expand our recall of whole muscle cuts out of an abundance of caution for consumers,” stated Keyes.
The following is a list of Hannaford products that may have been contaminated, but said Norton, customers could by-pass this and simply look to see if the meat fell within the date ranges of April 28 to June 6.
Beef Eye Round Whole Primal in Cry-o-Vac
Beef Eye Round Steak
Beef Eye Round Roast
Beef Eye Round Sandwich Steak
75% Lean Ground Beef, all tray sizes
80% Lean Ground Beef, all tray sizes
85% Lean Ground Beef, all tray sizes
90% Lean Ground Beef, all tray sizes
85% Lean Ground Beef Nature’s Place, all tray sizes
90% Lean Ground Beef Nature’s Place, all tray sizes
Beef for Stir Fry
Beef for Kabobs
Beef Round Cube Steak
Beef Round Stew
Beef Loin Sirloin Tip Whole Primal in Cry-o-Vac
Beef Loin Sirloin Tip Steak
Beef Shoulder Clod Heart Whole Primal in Cry-o-Vac
Beef London Broil Steak (Shoulder Steak)
Beef Shoulder Roast
Beef Eye Round Whole Primal in Cry-o-Vac
Beef Eye Round Steak
Beef Eye Round Roast
Beef Eye Round Sandwich Steak
Beef Tenderloin Whole Primal in Cry-o-Vac
Beef Tenderloin Steak (Filet Minion)
Beef Tenderloin Roast
Beef Tenderloin Tips
80% Lean Ground Beef, all tray sizes
85% Lean Ground Beef, all tray sizes
90% Lean Ground Beef, all tray sizes
Beef for Stir Fry
Beef for Kabobs
Beef Round Cube Steak
Beef Chuck Cube Steak
Beef Round Stew
Beef Chuck Stew
To reach reporter Andrew Amelinckx please call (518) 828-1616, ext. 2267, or e-mail aamelinckx@registerstar.com
“The date range is between April 28 and June 6,” said Hannaford spokesperson Mike Norton. He said that “out of an abundance of caution” any of their beef products with those dates can be brought in and refunded or exchanged.
He said that all the beef within this range wasn’t necessarily contaminated, but that they weren’t taking any chances.
“We’re trying to take a complex situation and simplify it,” he said.
According to Hannaford, E. coli O157:H7 is “a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration, and in the most severe cases, kidney failure.”
Hannaford’s warning was for consumers in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont. Norton wouldn’t specify whether any of the beef in question made its way into the Hannaford Supermarkets in Valatie or Red Hook, but asked consumers in the area to check their freezers.
Brazilian owned and Greeley, Colo., based JBS Swift Beef Company began the voluntary recall after the USDA investigated 24 illnesses in multiple states, 18 of which appear to have the same cause.
According to Tony Corbo, a legislative representative for consumer watchdog group Food and Water Watch, this isn’t the first time the plant where the beef originated from has had this type of problem.
“This plant has gone through three changes of ownership within the last seven years,” he said. “In 2002 when it was owned by ConAgra it was involved in one of the biggest beef recalls in history.”
Nearly 19 million pounds of beef due to E. coli contamination was recalled at that time.
Corbo said that like this case, the recall started small and expanded.
“It might be a bigger problem,” he said of the JBS recall.
According to Corbo, the contamination is likely due to a sanitation issue at the plant and the speed at which the meat passes on conveyer belts, making it harder for workers and USDA inspectors to catch problems. He said it was less likely to be a “grinder level” problem, meaning that it wasn’t an issue with the supermarkets that purchased the JBS beef to grind for hamburger.
“Let’s hope it another wake up call for the USDA,” he said.
He and others take issue with the USDA’s policy on adulterated meat, which, he said, will only recall meat once it has gotten to the grinder level. “One step away from consumers,” he said.
A statement by JBS spokesperson Chandler Keys defends the company and seems to lay the blame with Hannaford and others.
"It is important for consumers to note that the recalled product from the date in question was sold by JBS as whole muscle cuts, not as ground beef. The ground beef that might have been associated with illness was produced by other companies who often do not use the antimicrobial intervention steps we employ in our facility to reduce the risk of the beef products. Nevertheless, we have agreed to expand our recall of whole muscle cuts out of an abundance of caution for consumers,” stated Keyes.
The following is a list of Hannaford products that may have been contaminated, but said Norton, customers could by-pass this and simply look to see if the meat fell within the date ranges of April 28 to June 6.
Beef Eye Round Whole Primal in Cry-o-Vac
Beef Eye Round Steak
Beef Eye Round Roast
Beef Eye Round Sandwich Steak
75% Lean Ground Beef, all tray sizes
80% Lean Ground Beef, all tray sizes
85% Lean Ground Beef, all tray sizes
90% Lean Ground Beef, all tray sizes
85% Lean Ground Beef Nature’s Place, all tray sizes
90% Lean Ground Beef Nature’s Place, all tray sizes
Beef for Stir Fry
Beef for Kabobs
Beef Round Cube Steak
Beef Round Stew
Beef Loin Sirloin Tip Whole Primal in Cry-o-Vac
Beef Loin Sirloin Tip Steak
Beef Shoulder Clod Heart Whole Primal in Cry-o-Vac
Beef London Broil Steak (Shoulder Steak)
Beef Shoulder Roast
Beef Eye Round Whole Primal in Cry-o-Vac
Beef Eye Round Steak
Beef Eye Round Roast
Beef Eye Round Sandwich Steak
Beef Tenderloin Whole Primal in Cry-o-Vac
Beef Tenderloin Steak (Filet Minion)
Beef Tenderloin Roast
Beef Tenderloin Tips
80% Lean Ground Beef, all tray sizes
85% Lean Ground Beef, all tray sizes
90% Lean Ground Beef, all tray sizes
Beef for Stir Fry
Beef for Kabobs
Beef Round Cube Steak
Beef Chuck Cube Steak
Beef Round Stew
Beef Chuck Stew
To reach reporter Andrew Amelinckx please call (518) 828-1616, ext. 2267, or e-mail aamelinckx@registerstar.com
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