Florida Firm Recalls Ground Beef Products Due to Possible E. coli Contamination

WASHINGTON — Blue Ribbon Meats, a Hialeah, Fla., establishment is voluntarily recalling approximately 8,200 pounds of frozen ground beef products because they may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The products subject to recall include:

• 10-pound boxes of "WESPAK B.R.'S BRAND SEASONED BEEF PATTIES FOR SALISBURY, 80/20."
• 10-pound boxes and 20-pound cases of "JNS FOODS, LLC, B.R.'S BRAND SEASONED BEEF PATTIES FOR SALISBURY, 80/20."
• 10-pound boxes and 20-pound cases of "JNS FOODS, LLC, BEEF PATTIE MIX, 80/20."
• 10-pound boxes and 20-pound cases of "JNS FOODS, LLC, BEEF PATTIES, 80/20."
• 10-pound boxes and 20-pound cases of "JNS FOODS, LLC, MEATLOAF SEASONED BEEF PATTIES, 80/20."

Each case or box bears the establishment number "Est. 451A" inside the USDA mark of inspection. Each case or box bears a date code of "2577," "2647" or "2707." Each case or box bears an "ingredients" statement that includes "textured vegetable protein" or "defatted soy grits."

The frozen beef products were produced between Sept. 14 and Sept. 27, 2007, and were sent to a distributor intended for a correctional institution in Florida and to a distributor intended for a subsequent distributor in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.

The problem was discovered by Creekstone Farm (Est. 27), an Arkansas City, Kan., establishment that supplies the recalling company and inadvertently shipped product that they had on hold. FSIS has received no reports of illnesses associated with consumption of these products.