Beef Recalled from All Whole Foods Stores
Whole Foods, the upscale grocery store chain, which has a number of stores in California (one of which my wife shops at regularly), has recalled fresh ground beef from all its stores nationwide after finding out that the meat could be tainted by E. Coli, according to a report in Consumeraffairs.com. The E. Coli-tainted meat purchased from Whole Foods stores in Massachusetts has sickened six people so far.
The contaminated meat was purchased from Coleman Natural Foods, but was processed at Nebraska Beef, which recalled more than 5 million pounds of ground beef in May and June. Nebraska Beef reportedly recalled an additional 1.2 million pounds of beef produced in June and July, and that beef is included in a batch of meat that found its way back to Whole Foods. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has already been closely scrutinizing Nebraska Beef. Now, the plant is under investigation for possible food safety violations.
USDA officials have criticized Nebraska Beef’s operation, calling the conditions unsanitary and stating that the plant’s production practices are not good enough to effectively control E. Coli 0157:H7 in their beef products intended for grinding.
E. Coli or Escherichia coli, are a large and diverse group of bacteria. According to a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, most strains of E. Coli are harmless while others can make you ill. Some strains can cause diarrhea, while others can cause urinary tract infections, respiratory illness, pneumonia and other illnesses.
Whole Foods customers who may have purchased ground beef between June 2 and Aug. 6 are asked to dispose the product and return to the store with the packaging or the receipt for a full refund.
If you consumed the tainted beef and fell ill, I’d strongly suggest that you save the meat and/or the packaging and contact an experienced food-borne illness attorney, who can help you analyze your legal options.
