The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) has been working with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other New England state health departments to identify persons infected with E.coli:O157:H7 who may have consumed undercooked ground beef contaminated with the same strain of the disease causing organism.
Health officials have found a genetic link between E. coli found in fresh ground beef products distributed by Fairbank Farms, an Ashville, New York, meat distributor and the E. coli that sickened people in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. E. coli cases in New York may also be linked to this outbreak.
This is a particularly virulent strain of E. coli O157:H7 that has killed 2 people and sent at least 16 people to the hospital.
Our law firm represents E. coli victims and their families nationwide. We are currently representing people sickened by E. coli who developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), including a 3-year-old boy. Contact an E. coli lawyer at our firm for a free consultation regarding a Fairbank Farms lawsuit.
This outbreak follows another unrelated E.coli outbreak involving more than 20 students and adults from Lincoln Middle School in Lincoln, Rhode Island who became ill with gastrointestinal symptoms after eating ground beef at Camp Bournedale, a nature camp in Plymouth, MA. Ground beef collected at the camp was the same strain of E. coli O157:H7 confirmed in two of the children. In response to the Lincoln Middle School E. coli outbreak, a ground beef and beef product recall was initiated by South Shore Meats in Brockton, MA last week as a result of the camp related outbreak. The recalled ground beef was distributed in institutional size packages.
Fairbank Farms Recall
Fairbank Farms is recalling multiple trade brands associated with the multi-state outbreak of E.coli O157:H7. Retailers that may have sold ground beef being recalled in Massachusetts include Shaws, Price Chopper, Trader Joe’s and Wild Harvest.
Trader Joe’s
- 1-pound packages of “TRADER JOE’S BUTCHER SHOP FINE QUALITY MEATS GROUND BEEF 85/15.”
- 1-pound packages of “TRADER JOE’S BUTCHER SHOP FINE QUALITY MEATS GROUND BEEF 80/20.”
NOTE: The sell-by dates for the above two products may be October 6 or 7, 2009.
- 1-pound trays of “TRADER JOE’S BUTCHER SHOP FINE QUALITY MEATS GROUND BEEF PATTIES 96/4 EXTRA LEAN.”
- 1-pound trays of “TRADER JOE’S BUTCHER SHOP FINE QUALITY MEATS GROUND BEEF PATTIES 85/15.”
Price Chopper
- 1- and 2.5-pound trays of “PRICE CHOPPER MEATLOAF & MEATBALL MIX.”
- 1-pound trays of “PRICE CHOPPER EXTRA LEAN GROUND BEEF 96/4.”
- 1-pound trays of “PRICE CHOPPER FRESH GROUND BEEF CHUCK FOR CHILI 80% LEAN 20% FAT.”
Lancaster and Wild Harvest
- 1-pound trays of “LANCASTER BRAND 96/4 EXTRA LEAN GROUND BEEF.”
- 1- and 2-pound trays of “LANCASTER BRAND 90/10 GROUND BEEF.”
- 1-pound trays of “WILD HARVEST NATURAL 85/15 ANGUS GROUND BEEF.”
Shaw’s
- 1- and 2-pound trays of “SHAW’S FRESH GROUND BEEF 93/7.”
- 1-, 2- and 3-pound trays of “SHAW’S FRESH GROUND BEEF 80/20.”
- 1- and 3-pound trays of “SHAW’S FRESH GROUND BEEF 75/25.”
- 1.3-pound trays of “SHAW’S FRESH GROUND SIRLOIN BEEF PATTIES 90/10.”
- 1.3-pound trays of “SHAW’S FRESH GROUND ROUND BEEF PATTIES 85/15.”
- 1.3-pound trays of “SHAW’S FRESH GROUND BEEF PATTIES 80/20.”
- 3-pound trays of “SHAW’S FRESH GROUND BEEF PATTIES FAMILY PACK 80/20.”
- 1-pound trays of “SHAW’S ANGUS GROUND BEEF 85/15.”
- 1-, 2- and 3-pound trays of “SHAW’S FRESH GROUND ROUND BEEF 85/15.”
- 1-pound trays of “SHAW’S 90% NATURAL GROUND BEEF.”
- 1-pound trays of “SHAW’S 85% NATURAL GROUND BEEF.”
- 1-, 2- and 3-pound trays of “SHAW’S FRESH GROUND SIRLOIN 90/10.”
- 1-pound trays of “MEATLOAF & MEATBALL MIX.”
BJ’s
- 5-pound trays of “FRESH GROUND BEEF, CONTAINS 15 % FAT” patties.
- 3- and 5-pound trays of “LEAN GROUND BEEF, CONTAINS 7% FAT.”
- 2.5-pound trays of “MEATLOAF & MEATBALL MIX.”
Ford Brothers
- 3-pound trays of “FRESH GROUND BEEF, CONTAINS 20% FAT” patties.
Giant
- 1-pound trays of “GIANT EXTRA LEAN GROUND BEEF 96/4.”
- 1-pound trays of “GIANT MEATLOAF & MEATBALL MIX.”
- 1-pound trays of “GIANT NATURE’S PROMISE GROUND BEEF.”
- 1-pound trays of “GIANT NATURE’S PROMISE GROUND BEEF PATTIES.”
Each package bears the establishment number “EST. 492″ inside the USDA mark of inspection or on the nutrition label. These products were packaged on September 15 and 16, 2009, and may have been labeled at the retail stores with a sell-by date from September 19 through 28, 2009, unless otherwise noted above. Consumers should ask at their point of purchase if the products they have are subject to recall. The products were sent to distribution centers, intended for further distribution to retail establishments in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.
