April 29, 1998

SPRINGFIELD, IL -- Grocery stores in 15 Illinois counties may have received ground beef that was included in a 20-state recall announced today by IBP Inc., an Illinois meat packing plant located in Joslin, because of possible contamination with E. coli bacteria.

About 3,100 pounds of ground beef, out of the 282,000 pounds recalled, was reportedly distributed to Illinois stores, according to information supplied to the Illinois Department of Public Health by distributors of the IBP product. The recall was undertaken after federal inspectors found a sample of ground beef from the IBF plant contained E. coli 0157:H7.

No illness associated with consumption of the beef has been reported in Illinois or in any other state. Local health departments in Illinois were alerted to collect details on the source of ground beef from anyone with a case of E. coli.

Most of the ground beef is believed to have already been consumed.

The Illinois stores that may have been received the recalled ground beef are SuperValu, Greenville (Bond County); SuperValu, Breese (Clinton); Clinton IGA, Clinton (DeWitt); Pryor's Food Inc., Ramsey, and Red Fox Foods, Brownstown (Fayette); S&S Red Fox Inc., Astoria (Fulton); Tom's Greenfield Foods, Greenfield (Jersey); Otter Creek Market, Streator (LaSalle); Food Basket, Dixon (Lee); SuperValu, Troy (Madison); Leroy IGA, Leroy (Mclean); Jerry's IGA, Sullivan (Moultrie); D&D Red Fox, Glasford, and Haddad's West Peoria Market Inc., Peoria (Peoria); Tom's Griggsville Foods, Griggsville (Pike); Georgetown IGA, Georgetown (Vermilion); and Mel's Market, Washburn (Woodford).

Consumers who purchased ground beef at these stores between April 16 and April 25 should discard the product or return it to the store for a refund or exchange.

E. coli 0157:H7 causes severe, often bloody, diarrhea and painful abdominal cramps. In some persons, particularly children younger than 5 years of age and the elderly, the infection can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which can result in stroke, seizures and death.

The organism can be found in the intestines of cattle and, when the animals are slaughtered, the meat can be contaminated by intestinal contents. When the meat is ground, fecal organisms on the outside of the meat are then thoroughly mixed throughout the ground beef. These bacteria can survive unless the meat is completely cooked. Beef that is still pink, or has blood-tinged juices, has not been cooked enough to kill the bacteria. Work surfaces that come in contact with raw ground beef also should be thoroughly cleaned before using again.

The bacteria is present in the stools of infected persons and can be passed from one person to another if hygiene and hand washing habits are inadequate.

Besides Illinois, the ground beef was recalled from Iowa, Wisconsin, New York, Louisiana, Kansas, Oklahoma, Georgia, Arkansas, Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio, Kentucky, Florida, Indiana, West Virginia, Mississippi, Nebraska, Alabama and Pennsylvania.

The following is a list of the stores that received the recalled meat. The product may have been labeled -- ground chuck, 81 percent lean ground beef, 81 percent ground beef or 81 percent ground chuck.

Illinois Department of Public Health 535 West Jefferson Street Springfield, Illinois 62761 Phone 217-782-4977 Fax 217-782-3987 TTY 800-547-0466 Questions or Comments

Copyright © 1997 State of Illinois