RECALL WARNING - BYERLY'S AND LUNDS GROUND BEEF RECALL: 7 people have contacted E. coli infections linked to ground beef sold at Lunds and Byerly's stores in Minnesota. Below is the Minnesota Department of Health press release on the E. coli outbreak linked to ground beef sold at Byerly's and Lunds grocery stores:
E. coli O157:H7 cases linked to ground beef purchased at Lunds or Byerly’s stores since mid-April: Product removed from store shelvesMay 8, 2007 - State health and agriculture officials are investigating seven cases of E. coli O157:H7 infection in Minnesota residents associated with eating ground beef purchased from Lunds or Byerly’s grocery stores since mid-April.
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) found that all of the cases of illness were caused by E. coli O157:H7 with the same DNA fingerprint. All of those sickened had purchased the ground beef from one of four Lunds or Byerly’s stores in the west metro area since April 12. The people became ill between April 21 and 28 after consuming the meat.
The cases include two children and five adults. Three of the cases were hospitalized, but all have been discharged.
“The stores currently involved include Byerly’s St. Louis Park, Byerly’s Minnetonka, Byerly’s Chanhassen and Lunds Edina. However, we can’t be certain that meat from other stores is not involved, since all of the beef used for ground beef for Lunds and Byerly’s stores comes from a single processing facility,” said Heidi Kassenborg, Acting Director of the Dairy and Food Inspection Division of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA).
Ground beef purchased after April 7 from a Lunds or Byerly’s store, whether still in the refrigerator or freezer, should not be used, but should be discarded or returned to the store, officials said. [Note from the lawyers at the nationally recognized food poisoning law firm of Pritzker | Ruohonen: If someone has eaten any of the ground beef, DO NOT THROW THE GROUND BEEF AWAY. If someone who has eaten the beef contracts an E. coli O157:H7 infection, the leftover meat could be evidence. If you or a family member becomes ill, contact an E. coli lawyer at Pritzker | Ruohononen at 1-888-37-8900 or 612-338-0202 as soon as possible, and our experienced E. coli lawyer will help ensure that the correct tests are done to link your case of E. coli to the outbreak linked to Lunds and Byerly's.]
“Thorough cooking kills E. coli bacteria. However, we know that some of this meat was contaminated so it is safer to eliminate the risk altogether by recommending that people not consume the meat,” said Kirk Smith, Supervisor of the Foodborne Ilness Unit with MDH.
As a precautionary measure, Lunds and Byerly’s have voluntarily removed many varieties of ground beef from all of their stores and are cooperating fully with the investigation.For information about E. coli, please see the following:
Pritzker | Ruohonen has a national practice and represents E. coli victims throughout the United States. To contact the firm, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the online contact form.
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