Category Archives: Food Inspections

FSIS USDA

Pride of Florida, a Raiford, Fla. establishment, is recalling approximately 64,797 pounds of raw beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The raw ground beef items were produced on various dates from Sept. 23, 2019 to Oct. 10, 2019. The following products are subject to recall: [View Labels (PDF only)]

• 24-lb. Case containing 1-lb chubs of “CIRCLE A BRAND 85-15 LEAN GROUND BEEF” with pack date Oct. 8, 2019; package code of Oct. 8. 2020 and case code of 1-86407-30002-5.
• 24-lb. Case containing 1-lb chubs of “CIRCLE A BRAND 80/20 GROUND BEEF” with pack dates 9-26-19, 9-27-19, 9-30-19; package codes of Sept. 26, 2020, Sept. 27, 2020, Sept. 30, 2020; and case code of FG-8020-24-1.
• 12-lb. Case containing 1-lb chubs of “CIRCLE A BRAND 80/20 GROUND BEEF” with a pack date of 9-26-19; package code of Sept. 26, 2020; and a case code of FG-8020-12-1.
• 15-lb. Case containing 20-oz packages of “CLARKS 5 CHOPPED BEEF STEAKS” with a pack date of 9-23-19; a package code of Sept. 23, 2020; and a case code of 0-73673-00211-4.
• 13-lb. Case containing 17.5-oz packages of “CLARKS 5 CHOPPED PEPPER STEAKS” with a pack date of 9-23-19; a product code of Sept. 23, 2020; and a case code of 0-73673-00222-0.
• 20-lb. Case containing 5.3-oz packages of “SOUTHEAST PROTEIN PURVEYOR GROUND BEEF PATTIES” with a pack date of 10-18-19; a package code of Oct. 10, 2020; and a case code of FG-8020-20-5.3.
• 40-lb. Case containing 10-lb packages of “SOUTHEAST PROTEIN PURVEYOR 81/19 GROUND BEEF” with pack dates of 9-30-19, 10-2-19, 10-8-19, package codes of Sept. 30, 2020, Oct. 2, 2020, and Oct. 8, 2020; and case codes of FG-81/19-10C-40# and FG-81/19-10C-40.
• 60-lb. Case containing 10-lb packages of “SOUTHEAST PROTEIN PURVEYORS 80-20 GROUND BEEF” with a pack date of 9-26-19; a package code of Sept. 26, 2020; and a case code of FG80/20-60-6/10

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 18506” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to commercial distributors and a cold storage warehouse in Florida.

The problem was discovered when the firm was notified by their third-party laboratory that a sample was positive for E. coli O157:H7, but the products associated with the sample had already been shipped into commerce. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.

Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider. E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause dehydration, bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps 2–8 days (3–4 days, on average) after exposure the organism. While most people recover within a week, some develop a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). This condition can occur among persons of any age but is most common in children under 5-years old and older adults. It is marked by easy bruising, pallor, and decreased urine output. Persons who experience these symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately.

FSIS is concerned that some product may be frozen and in Commercial Distributor’s freezers. Distributors who have obtained these products are urged not to distribute them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of origin.

FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. When available, the distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls.

FSIS advises all consumers to safely prepare their raw meat products, including fresh and frozen, and only consume ground beef that has been cooked to a temperature of 160°F. The only way to confirm that ground beef is cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria is to use a food thermometer that measures internal temperature, https://www.fsis.usda.gov/safetempchart.

Consumers and members of the media with questions about the recall can contact Denise Kiminki, Chief Administrator Officer, Pride Of Florida, at (813) 324-8733.

Consumers with food safety questions can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) or live chat via Ask USDA from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Consumers can also browse food safety messages at Ask USDA or send a question via email to MPHotline@usda.gov. For consumers that need to report a problem with a meat, poultry, or egg product, the online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at https://foodcomplaint.fsis.usda.gov/eCCF/.