Consumers from North Carolina to Maine are being advised to check their freezers for ground beef, including meatloaf or meatball mix, possibly related to a death in New Hampshire and illnesses in other states.A recall of more than a half-million-pounds of ground beef was issued Friday by its producer, Fairbank Farms of Ashville, N.Y.
The packages were sold under a variety of brand names, ranging from Acme Markets' Lancaster Brand Ground Beef and Extra Lean Ground Beef to Giant Food Stores Meatloaf and Meatball Mix to Trader Joe's Butcher Shop Fine Quality Meats Ground Beef. (See full list below.)
Consumers are advised to look for packages with sell-by dates of Sept. 19 through Sept. 28. The number "EST. 492" would also be inside the USDA inspection mark or on the nutrition label.
"Consumers who identify these products should retur
n them to the point of purchase for a full refund," said Ron Allen, Fairbank Farms CEO.The concern is that the meat may have been tainted with a harmful strain of e. coli. Ground beef should always be cooked thoroughly - to an internal temperature of 160 degrees or more - to kill any bacteria mixed in by the grinding process.
Originally, the recall applied to eight states - Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, New York, Connecticut, Virginia, Massachusetts and North Carolina.
Because some of the food chains may have redistributed packages, Fairbank Farms has expanded the range to include all Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states.
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