A Food Safety Update: 41,000 Lbs of Beef Recalled [UPDATED]

What's 2mos when you have a lil' ecoli? (4.00 / 2)

These beef products were produced on April 21 and 22, 2009, and were shipped to distributors and retail establishments in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah and Wisconsin.

I actually clicked the link because the company name looked familiar.
I must say, as a meat eater, buying direct from farmers and having a sep freezer for storage really pays off in more ways than being sustainable etc. Not stressing when you pull meat out of the freezer is priceless.  

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by: nycstray @ Fri Jun 26, 2009 at 00:31:41 AM UTC

The more I read about these recalls (4.00 / 3)

and the commercial nationally deployed food system, the more I'm thinking that the only way that these huge recalls are going to be eliminated or even reduced is to do away with these centralized processors/packers. When you have such centralized processing, if there is just one small percentage of meat, produce, etc. that gets into a batch, then you've contaminated the whole shebang.

Look at this latest recall. How much contaminated meat actually caused the recall? 10#, 100#, 1,000#? Was the ground beef all produced at the same plant, were bench trimmings aggregated from many plants? It's a dead cinch that not all 41,000# of beef was contaminated.

As much as I hate to say this, it's not logistically or realistically possible to 100% eliminate pathogens from processing. Add to that, rapid line speads, someone cutting corners on cleaning, or just the fact that nothing is 100%, and you have the potential to have a recall like this.

The only way, in my opinion, to eliminate these big recalls is to decentralize the slaughter and processing of livestock and poultry. Generally you're hearing about recalls of this magnitude from the big national processors. Sure, with small decentralized processing, you'll still have recalls, but the recalls will be smaller.

Of course, you're not going to be able to decentralize beef, pork or poultry slaughter/processing. There's too much money to be made, and the companies are too powerful. So I think we're all going to have to get used to reading about these recalls, and we're all going to have to get used to 'food safety' bills like this Food Safety Enhancement Act.

Personally, I would tell my congressman, Kurt Schrader, to vote against it. It won't make anyone any safer than they are now, and it may well force me into agricultural practices that I won't endorse and believe to be detrimental to sustainable ag practices as well as being next to impossible to implement, especially in a situation like mine where I have an extremely small farm abutted on 3 sides by other small acreage homes and by the highway on the 4th side. I also don't support the fees for small processors, but don't think it's possible to get them excempted in this bill. I think getting the fees reduced to $500 was asking a lot, and while it's better than $1,000 for small processors, it's still going to add a lot to people, especially those who are just starting out, that they can't afford.

I say I would tell Kurt to vote against it, but if he did, then people could use it against him in the next election. And I'd like to see Kurt stay in DC for a while. So, while I might give his Canby office a call and see if I can't get ahold of a staffer and express my concerns, I'm not going to ask him to vote for it or against it. I just can't endorse a bill that hurts the one part of ag that isn't the cause of these recalls, and which won't make anything safer to begin with.

Regarding locavores as elitists - explain to me how supporting local business is elitist....

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by: Joanne Rigutto @ Fri Jun 26, 2009 at 00:47:52 AM UTC

yes, decentralization would be a great thing (4.00 / 1)

for all the reasons you mention, plus 2 more.

1. Food wouldn't have to travel as far to be processed, which would reduce consumption of fossil fuels and associated pollution, and

2. Decentralization would also make the deliberate contamination of our food supply more difficult and thus make us all safer.

Although in the past I'd been hopeful about enacting reform politically, I'm increasingly convinced that the only way to remake the food distribution system is through CSAs and farmer's markets. I tell everyone who stands still for more than 5 minutes how much I love my CSA and what a great value it is.

It's a good sign that CSAs around here are usually filled to capacity pretty far in advance, and more are springing up all the time. I think if more people were aware of how great the products and the value are in CSA programs, we could change the way people in this country eat.

I wish I knew half what the flock of them know
Of where all the berries and other things grow,
Cranberries in bogs and raspberries on top
Of the boulder-strewn mountain, and when they will crop.
--"Blueberries" by Robert Frost

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by: wide eyed lib @ Fri Jun 26, 2009 at 01:01:01 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I agree with you there (4.00 / 1)

that's why I keep saying that various laws won't really accomplish anything. The problems with the system are inherent. I keep shaking my head at the USDA and Department of Homeland Security saying that our food system is at risk of terrorism. It's at risk because it's so consentrated, so what do they do? Work as hard as possible to concentrate it further. Oy!

Regarding locavores as elitists - explain to me how supporting local business is elitist....

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by: Joanne Rigutto @ Fri Jun 26, 2009 at 12:21:24 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I'm inclined to agree with you about a lot of this (4.00 / 1)

although I do think the bill has enough good in it to support. But I think as a farmer you've got a LOT of credibility to speak to the parts of the bill that would harm you and it's a great idea for you to call your rep. You might even be able to get a meeting w/ him next week during the recess if you ask for one.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

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by: Jill Richardson @ Fri Jun 26, 2009 at 16:14:51 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Here's something else (4.00 / 3)

Apparently this was not ground beef? According to the folks over at Meating Place, these were whole muscle cuts, and not tenderized. The recall is the result of another investigation, which might explain the 2 month lag in the recall.

I wonder how much of this product is still available for recall? If it was used for ground beef, most of that product isn't around any more. If it was used in a cooked/packaged product, it's probably safe to eat. The beef was shipped to distributors and retailers. I'm betting the beef shipped to the retailers is long gone, and the beef shipped to distributors is long gone too. I'm thinking the beef shipped to distributors was sent along to restaurants, etc.? I don't know of any restaurants that hold beef, even frozen, for 2 months.

Regarding locavores as elitists - explain to me how supporting local business is elitist....

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by: Joanne Rigutto @ Fri Jun 26, 2009 at 00:59:56 AM UTC

I was thinking it was identification (4.00 / 1)

of what parts were ground in the "box". Looks like it was all sirloin. It's hard to tell because it says beef products, but also ground info is there.

Is it possible the distributors repacked and froze/stored to fill orders? When you look back on some of the past ones, the beef seemed to be around for a decent period of time.

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by: nycstray @ Fri Jun 26, 2009 at 02:22:24 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

That could be (4.00 / 1)

And also, if it was trimmings, then some could have gone into either ground beef, sausage, any number of things.

I was watching an edition of Modern Marvels on the History channel last night. It was the one about cold cuts. It's amazing where all those trimmings go. Salami, bologna, pastrami, etc.

Regarding locavores as elitists - explain to me how supporting local business is elitist....

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by: Joanne Rigutto @ Fri Jun 26, 2009 at 12:19:18 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

you're right (4.00 / 1)

I read that into it but you are right. I've corrected the diary.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

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by: Jill Richardson @ Fri Jun 26, 2009 at 16:17:55 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

It's kinda hard not to when (4.00 / 2)

they have this literally along side the recalled product list:

PREPARING GROUND BEEF FOR SAFE CONSUMPTION

USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline
1-888-MPHOTLINE or visit
www.fsis.usda.gov

Wash hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling raw meat and poultry. Wash cutting boards, dishes and utensils with hot soapy water. Immediately clean spills.

Keep raw meat, fish and poultry away from other food that will not be cooked. Use separate cutting boards for raw meat, poultry and egg products and cooked foods.

Consumers should only eat ground beef or ground beef patties that have been cooked to a safe internal temperature of 160° F.

Color is NOT a reliable indicator that ground beef or ground beef patties have been cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria such as E. coli O157:H7.

The only way to be sure ground beef is cooked to a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria is to use a thermometer to measure the internal temperature.

Refrigerate raw meat and poultry within two hours after purchase or one hour if temperatures exceed 90° F. Refrigerate cooked meat and poultry within two hours after cooking.

Just sayin'  ;)

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by: nycstray @ Sat Jun 27, 2009 at 00:54:42 AM UTC

[ Parent ]