Kroger asks customers to check for recalled beef
11:17 a.m. Thursday, July 3, 2008
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has informed The Kroger Co. that Nebraska Beef, based in Omaha, Neb., has been identified as the supplier of ground beef products linked to E. coli illnesses in Michigan and central and northern Ohio.
The illnesses were reported between May 31 and June 8. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have not reported any additional illnesses related to this outbreak.
Kroger has expanded the voluntary recall the company initiated last week for Kroger stores in Michigan and in central and northern Ohio.
Based on the latest information from the USDA, Kroger is expanding the recall to include ground beef products in Styrofoam tray packages wrapped in clear cellophane or purchased from an in-store service counter from the stores described below.
Recall Alert Registry
The public can now sign up with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to receive alerts on product recalls. Log onto www.cpsc.gov and go to the yellow box on the left side of the page. To register, you must provide an email address and zip code.
There are various “sell by” dates on the ground beef being recalled due to different Nebraska Beef production dates. Those include:
- Kroger stores, May 21-July 3
- Kroger Mid-Atlantic, May 19-June 6
- Baker’s, May 17-June 4
In addition to the ground beef described above, Kroger is recalling Private Selection Natural ground beef sold in 16 oz. packages that were in the self-service meat case. The “sell by” dates for this product is July 11 through July 21, 2008. The product was available at all Kroger stores and Dillons, Fred Meyer, Baker’s, Smith’s and Fry’s.
Kroger has already begun notifying customers about this recall by placing signs in stores in meat departments. Kroger is also using its register receipt notification system that alerts customers about recalls of products they may have purchased.
Kroger has instructed every store involved in the recall to discard the ground beef products in question and thoroughly clean and sanitize all equipment used to prepare ground beef for sale.
What Customers Should Do:
Kroger is asking customers to carefully check the ground beef they have at home in their refrigerators and freezers. If they have any products covered in this recall, they should return the product to a store for a full refund or replacement.
Consumers are reminded that proper handling, storage and cooking of ground beef offers the best protection against food-borne illness. According to the USDA, when ground beef is thoroughly cooked to an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees, any harmful bacteria are destroyed and the ground beef is safe to consume.
Consumers who have questions about the recall may contact Kroger toll-free at (800) 632-6900 or log on to Kroger.com/recalls.
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