Yesterday, the Dept. of Agriculture’s Food Safety & Inspection Service announced two separate recalls — one in California and one in New York — totaling nearly 40,000 pounds of ground beef after learning that the batches of meat could have been contaminated with the E. coli bacteria.

Both recalls have are considered Class I hazards by FSIS, meaning “there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.”

The bigger of the two recalls comes from California, where South Gate Meat Co., of South Gate, Calif., is recalling approximately 35,000 pounds of ground beef products.

The products subject to recall include:
* 20-, 30- and 40-pound bulk packages of “SOUTH GATE MEAT CO. GROUND BEEF.”
* 30-, 40-, and 50-pound bulk packages of “SOUTH GATE MEAT CO. COARSE GROUND BEEF.”
* 10- and 20-pound packages of “SOUTH GATE MEAT CO. GROUND BEEF PATTIES.”

Each package bears establishment number “EST. 6217” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These ground beef products were produced between the dates of June 7, 2010, through June 21, 2010, and were shipped to restaurants in the Los Angeles and Orange County, Calif. area.

The New York recall accounts for 3,700 pounds of ground beef produced by Crown I Enterprises, Inc., of Bay Shore, N.Y.

The products subject to recall include:
* 24, 8-ounce burgers in 12-pound boxes of “W.B. STOCKYARD, KEEP REFRIGERATED, BURGER FRESH, WB HOME STYLE 8 OZ.”
* 32, 6-ounce burgers in 12-pound boxes of “W.B. STOCKYARD, KEEP REFRIGERATED, BURGER FRESH 6 OZ.”
* 48, 4-ounce burgers in 12-pound boxes of “W.B. STOCKYARD, KEEP REFRIGERATED, BURGER FRESH, 4 OZ.”
* 10-pound boxes of “W.B. STOCKYARD, KEEP REFRIGERATED, BEEF GROUND/EXTRA LEAN.”
* 10- and 20-pound boxes of “W.B. STOCKYARD, KEEP REFRIGERATED, BEEF GROUND 80/20.”

Each package bears establishment number “EST. 20889” inside the USDA mark of inspection as well the Julian dates of “10164” and “10166.” These ground beef products were produced on June 11, 2010, and June 15, 2010, and were shipped to food service institutions in Connecticut., N.J., and N.Y.

According to the FSIS, no reports of illness have been received as a result of either batch of recalled beef.

California Firm Recalls Ground Beef Products Due To Possible E. coli O157:H7 Contamination [FSIS]

New York Firm Recalls Ground Beef Products Due To Possible E. coli O157:H7 Contamination [FSIS]

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