USDA issues alert for stolen E.coli infected beef

US regulators on Thursday issued a public health alert after a truck loaded with 14,800 pounds (671 kilos) of ground beef was stolen. The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) warned the missing ground beef products may be contaminated with the potentially deadly E. coli bacteria.

USDA’s warning came after a refrigerated trailer containing the ground beef products was reported stolen by the privately-held meat producer American Food Service Corporation.

The Fort Worth, Texas-based company that does business as American Fresh Foods urged Texas consumers not to purchase its ground beef under questionable circumstances as the products may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, a potentially dangerous bacteria that can cause food poisoning, bloody diarrhea and dehydration.

"Consumers need to know that our meat products being sold through normal retail channels -- such as grocery stores -- are safe. Our primary concern, however, is for the safety of those people who may be persuaded to buy beef products under questionable circumstances," says Tim Biela, chief food safety and quality assurance officer for American Fresh Foods. "Our first priority is their safety. We do not know how this product has been handled since it left our control. The stolen truck had only a limited supply of refrigeration fuel."

American Fresh Foods is working with USDA officials and local and state law enforcement authorities to recover the stolen vehicle and product. Each package label carries the establishment number EST. 13116 inside the USDA mark of inspection, and has a net weight of approximately 1 to 2 pounds.

Each Bulk product, also subject to this public health alert, bears the establishment number EST. 13116 as well as a date of 12-19-07 with the production information filled in manually. The products were produced on December 19.

The company urged the consumers to check for these products in their homes and should NOT eat these products. Consumers with questions can call the company's toll-free hotline at 800-724-1136.

One of the chief culprits behind food borne diseases, Escherichia coli O157:H7 was first discovered in 1982. E. coli is known to release a deadly toxin that causes the disease. It spreads through ground beef, bean sprouts and leafy vegetables and is characterized by the symptoms of stomach cramps, dehydration and bloody diarrhea. The infection generally clears up in 5 to 10 days time.

However serious infection is known to cause kidney failure and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a disease that affects mostly children under the age of 10, but also may affect the elderly as well as persons with poor immune systems.

The USDA recommends beef consumers to take a few precautions for preparing ground beef that would be safe for consumption. Consumers preparing ground beef products should heed the following advice:

• Cook ground beef throughout at a safe temperature of 160 ºF.
• Use an accurate food thermometer to check that beef is cooked at an appropriate temperature, as color is not a reliable indicator.
• Eating a pink or red ground beef without first verifying the cooking temperature of 160 ºF is a significant risk factor for acquiring E.Coli bacterium.

Person-to-person transmission is possible if we are not in the habit of washing our hands thoroughly. According to the Center for Disease Control, 73,000 cases of infection and 61 deaths occur in the United States each year.