Multistate Outbreak of E. coli O157 Infections Linked to Topp's Brand Ground Beef Patties

[Liu, Jimmy]

Update on the current outbreak from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

http://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2007/october/100207.html

 

Recall information available on the USDA website:

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/040_2007_Expanded_Recall.pdf

 

 

Jimmy Liu

Food Safety Information Center

http://foodsafety.nal.usda.gov

National Agricultural Library

10301 Baltimore Ave., Rm. 304

Beltsville, MD 20705

(301) 504-5840 (P)

(301) 504-7680 (F)

jl...@nal.usda.gov

 

 

[William Marler]

Foodsafers — from 2003 to Spring 2007 we had very few cases of hamburger-related E. coli.  Since April, United Meat, Interstate, Lunds, Fresno and now Topps.  Even before the 21.7 M recall, there had already been nearly 10M recalled – why?

On 10/3/07 9:01 AM, "Liu, Jimmy" <jl...@nal.usda.gov> wrote:

Update on the current outbreak from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
http://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2007/october/100207.html
 
Recall information available on the USDA website:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/040_2007_Expanded_Recall.pdf
 
 
Jimmy Liu

Food Safety Information Center

http://foodsafety.nal.usda.gov <http://foodsafety.nal.usda.gov/>

National Agricultural Library

10301 Baltimore Ave., Rm. 304

Beltsville, MD 20705

(301) 504-5840 (P)

(301) 504-7680 (F)

jl...@nal.usda.gov

William D. Marler
Marler Clark LLP PS
6600 Columbia Tower
701 Fifth Avenue
Seattle, WA 98104
P  206-346-1890
F  206-346-1898
C  206-719-4705
www.marlerclark.com
bma...@marlerclark.com
www.marlerblog.com

[Robert A LaBudde]

At 12:12 PM 10/3/2007, Bill wrote:
>Foodsafers ­ from 2003 to Spring 2007 we had
>very few cases of hamburger-related E.
>coli. Since April, United Meat, Interstate,
>Lunds, Fresno and now Topps. Even before the
>21.7 M recall, there had already been nearly 10M recalled – why?

Possibilities:

1. They have become complacent.
2. They are a new crop of suppliers who haven't
learned the importance of testing and hygiene.
3. Cattle are being presented for slaughter with
a heavier load of manure and mud attached.
4. Feedlots are out of control.
5. Corn prices have effect economics so that corners are being cut.
etc.

================================================================
Robert A. LaBudde, PhD, PAS, Dpl. ACAFS e-mail: r...@lcfltd.com
Least Cost Formulations, Ltd. URL: http://lcfltd.com/
824 Timberlake Drive Tel: 757-467-0954
Virginia Beach, VA 23464-3239 Fax: 757-467-2947

"Vere scire est per causas scire"
================================================================

[Carl Custer]

To: Bill's "Even before the 21.7 M recall, there had already been
nearly 10M recalled – why?"

LaBudde Responded, "Possibilities:

1. They have become complacent.
2. They are a new crop of suppliers who haven't learned the importance
of testing and hygiene.
3. Cattle are being presented for slaughter with a heavier load of
manure and mud attached.
4. Feedlots are out of control.
5. Corn prices have effect economics so that corners are being cut. etc."

[Carl]: Good thoughts.
I'd put my money on 4, there is still little pressure on feed lots.
But, IIRC, most ground beef still comes from dairy cows, not feed lot
cows -- except for the fat trim and cheap cuts.

5. is interesting because one speculation I heard was something has
changed to the advantage of EHECs. Grass and hay don't do that.
Maybe sorghum/milo? Anyone know if feeding practices have changed with
the bump up in corn prices?

For 3, Texas and environs have had more than their share of rain this
year. So, maybe. A map of positive sources would be interesting.

I'd discount 1 & 2 in the belief (hope) that the ignorami were weeded
out in the first four years of HACCP implementation. Also, BIFSCO
developed and has pushed its "best practices". Plus, it's become very
expensive to screw up. Oh, nevermind. Guess I forgot the past two
month's news.

Another speculation is the bug has changed. Those that survived the
previous interventions have flourished. Darwin would be pleased but
that's a ling-shot.

Carl (with furrowed brow) Custer

[William Marler]

Some of my thoughts:

The FSIS has become complacent and has allowed the producers to ship whole muscle products from contaminated carcasses without testing. These products will either end up in restaurants and result in illnesses because of cross contamination of other foods, or used by grinders to make ground beef.

FSIS inspectors in charge of facilities have varied levels of training and interest in food safety. This reflects in the fact that after each major recall, FSIS’s analysis shows major deficiencies in the practices of the companies involved in outbreaks, yet the entire operation for years was run under the supervision of the FSIS.

FSIS’s past position on recall only when unopened packages test positive and ignoring opened packages from patient’s refrigerators and freezers is irrational, irresponsible and may have contributed to increased morbidity and mortality from outbreaks, because of delays in examination of unopened packages.

Grinding operations have become complacent and are solely relying on certificate of analysis of their raw materials, without statistically based verification program. The FSIS’s testing data suggests that both trim and ground beef after the first test can test positive (at up to 50% of the incident levels before the test).

The recent outbreaks and recalls in ground beef should mandate reassessment of the ground beef producer’s, and producers of tenderized meats HACCP plans to consider the presence of pathogens in their raw materials as a hazard reasonably likely to occur.

Changes in feed composition because of the increases in price of corn may have resulted in higher levels of presence of E. coli O157:H7 in cattle and on cattle hides.

The homeland security/immigration raids on this segment of the food industry has resulted in loss of thousands of well trained workers, who have been replaced with new workers without the experience to perform sanitary dressing in an acceptable manner.

[William Marler]

Some questions I posted on my blog www.marlerblog.com this morning:

USDA/FSIS Timeline of Topps "Recall"

The below Timeline is directly from the transcript of the Press Conference held by the USDA/FSIS on October 4, 2007:

Some questions that need to be answered:

1.  When did Topps know that there was a possible E. coli O157:H7 illness tied to its product? Given that USDA/FSIS was testing Topps product by September 7, 2007, it seems evident that Topps knew of the problem at some point between August 31, 2007 and September 8, 2007. Once it knew, what did it do?

2.  Did Topps seek any advise from USDA/FSIS, or other sources, between August 31, 2007 and September 7, 2007 about commencing a recall?

3.  When did Topps and USDA/FSIS discuss the recall, and what advise to USDA/FSIS give Topps regarding the timing of the recall?

August 31, 2007 – Florida parent complaint of E. coli O157:H7 illness of daughter logged on USDA/FSIS website.

September 7, 2007 – USDA/FSIS has positive E. coli O157:H7 sample frpm opened box of hamburger from Florida parent’s freezer.

September 8, 2007 – USDA/FSIS received hamburger sample from Topps. Tests were negative.

September 14, 2007 – Confirmed stool sample from Florida daughter and from hamburger in Florida parent’s freezer are identical E. coli O157:H7 genetic matches.

September 20, 2007 – USDA/FSIS was informed of two additional E. coli O157:H7 illnesses from New York State.

September 22, 20007 – Confirmed E. coli O157:H7 stool sample from New York cases were found to be genetic matches to both hamburger in Florida parent’s freezer and the daughter.

September 24, 2007 – New York State Department of Health confirmed E. coli O157:H7 positive sample from “unopened” box of Topps product.

September 25, 2007 – Recall announced.

September 29, 2007 – Recall expanded.

October 5, 2007 – CDC confirms 30 illnesses in 8 states.

[carlos hermida]

-What is the national baseline of EHEC healthy cattle cariers in USA ?.

-Which is the frequency of isolations of EHEC in carcassess.

-Which is the frequency of isolations in boneless beef ?. 

I wonder that after more than ten years from  "Jack in the Box" occurrence and its outcome HACCP and Pathogen Reduction  enacted rules enough water run behind the bridge to assess how safe is American beef.

Can you classify  Topp´s incident as an outliner ?.

Something is going wrong with Food Safety assurance after three big´s (Jack in the Box, Conagra -Greely Col. and Topp).

 

Carlos Hermida DVM

 

 

 

[Ken Bookmyer]

I'm lost on this recall. I can't understand how in a year they can't show clear breaks in the processing that would make it unlikely to impact an entire year's production.

That comes down to saying that whatever CCPs they had were either not followed or were inadequate. Does anyone know which? I'm not sure which is potentially more frightening from a food industry point of view I find myself hoping they were incompotent because I'm reasonably certain that most beef processors use esentially the same set of CCPs with minor variations for plant conditions. Classes are all taught by a relatively small group and the plans are audited by a smaller group, the tendency is to use what works for everyone else to make it easy for the auditors so if they were following all CCPs all of the rest of the meat is at risk also. (The Spinach recall last year was esentially the same story grocery chains and end users switched from Spinach to other green products without considering that they are all grown and harvested essentially the same way)
ken

 

 

[Michael Friedlander]

not long after jack in the box killed its customers, I was served a raw hamburger at JITB, southern california. I mean this thing was UNCOOKED and on the bun.
Jack apparently did not learn much from the experience, and neither did the people working for Jack!
You are right, there is something wrong with food safety assurance and Mc Donald's, Arby's, JITB,  continue to store and serve food improperly (obviously, along with a host of others).
Another interesting feature is that companies like Arby's have unlisted phone numbers, and are so tired of listening to complaints they won't talk to customers anymore, or return phone calls.
Your only defense is to cook your own food.
The only thing fast food gives us is a fast way to become sick and die.
carlos hermida <her...@fibertel.com.ar> wrote:

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[Michael Friedlander]

time to inspect again. your going to find that as soon as the inspectors go away, the same old time honored method of serving improperly stored / cooked food will resume.
the problem with this system is that any restaurant / food producer that fails an (one) inspection should be SHUT DOWN PERMANENTLY.
this is the only way to make Arby's understand. Otherwise when the cats away the mice will play.
"citations and warnings" mean absolutely nothing to these clowns.
A zero tolerance policy is the only one that will produce a result.

John Sipkens <jsip...@shd.snohomish.wa.gov> wrote:

I am Sorry that you had that experience.. I inspected the JIB located in Seattle that had the famous picture on TV for years.. I inspected after the 1993 experiences.. I found that JIB was very proactive and really did learn something from the experience.. there is always the opportunity for a failure.. I also interacted with the JIB food safety staff and found Lisa Wright to be well informed and I know she worked hard over the next 10 years to make JIB a model for the fast food industry. part of the problem with fast food is the public expects it now and cheap so the staff are paid low to keep cost down.. sometimes you get what you pay for.

 

John Sipkens

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From: Foodsa...@googlegroups.com [mailto:Foodsa...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Michael Friedlander
Sent: Monday, October 08, 2007 12:20 PM
To: foodsafe
Subject: [Foodsafe] Re: Multistate Outbreak of E. coli O157 Infections Linked to Topp's Brand Ground Beef Patties

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