Indiana meat recall linked to E. coli

The Associated Press reported yesterday that Indiana is one of 10 states recalling meat, which is linked to five cases of E. coli infection in Minnesota and Wisconsin. These infections have been linked to frozen ground sirloin patties sold by Sam’s Club and manufactured at a Nebraska plant, which has been the site of two other meat recalls since 1997, health officials said.
Officials said four Minnesota residents and one Wisconsin resident became ill in July after eating sirloin patties purchased at Sam’s Club stores in White Bear Lake and Eagan in Minnesota, and in Waukesha, Wis.
The plant in Columbus is run by the Oklahoma City-based Carneco Holding Inc.
Officials are advising people not to eat frozen sirloin patties sold under the label “Northern Plains” with the lot number 17304-CAR2 with a “Best Used By” date of December 18, 2004.
Officials said the implicated meat is being pulled from all Sam’s Club stores. They also said it’s possible the sirloin patties may have been sold by other retailers.
John Schaller, vice president of operations for Carneco, said Sam’s Club notified his company about the illnesses on Aug. 2. The recall involves 497,000 pounds of meat distributed to Sam’s Club stores in 10 states including: Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Utah and Wisconsin.