Fairbank Farms Issues Voluntary Recall of Ground Beef in Eastern Markets

ASHVILLE, N.Y., Oct. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Fairbank Farms (USDA Establishment 492), a New York manufacturer of ground beef, has issued a voluntary recall for a specified line of fresh ground beef products sold in eight states. Approximately 545,699 pounds of fresh ground beef product produced between September 14 through September 16, 2009, may possibly be linked to E.coli O157:H7.

"Our current priorities are to inform the public and address their concerns. Further, we want to help them to identify and remove any of the recalled products that may be in their freezers," said Ron Allen, CEO of Fairbank Farms.

An important point of fact, the recalled products are very specifically defined and are past their expiration date by 23 to 32 days. This means they are no longer being sold as fresh product in supermarkets. The products were sold in the following states: Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

"We're assisting our customers in conducting this recall," Allen said. "We are urging consumers to check their freezers for ground beef products that are listed in the recall. Consumers who identify these products should return them to the point of purchase for a full refund."

Consumers with questions about the recall should contact Fairbank Farms' toll-free consumer hotline at 1-877-546-0122. The hotline will be available beginning Saturday, October 31. The service will run daily 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST.

Consumers also can go to www.fairbankfarms.com for information to help identify the product. Anyone who has a medical concern should immediately contact their physician.

To identify recalled products, consumers should check the package label and look for the product name, package weight and sell-by date. All labels will show an establishment number of EST 492 inside the USDA mark of inspection. Recalled products include:

ACME
Packaged products (Sell-by dates ranging from 09/19/09 through 09/28/09)

• Wild Harvest Natural Angus Ground Beef 85/15, 1#
• Lancaster Brand Extra Lean Ground Beef 96/04, 1#
• Lancaster Brand Ground Beef 90/10, 1# & 2#
  

BJ's Wholesale Club/Burris
Packaged products (Sell-by dates ranging from 09/19/09 through 09/28/09)

• Fresh Ground Beef Patties 85/15, 5#
• Lean Ground Beef 93/07, 3# & 5#
• Meatloaf and Meatball Mix, 2.5#
  

Ford Brothers
Packaged products (Sell-by dates ranging from 09/19/09 to 09/28/09)

• Fresh Ground Beef Patty 80/20, 3#
  

Giant Food Stores
Packaged products (Sell-by dates ranging from 09/19/09 to 09/28/09)

• Giant Meatloaf & Meatball Mix, 1#
• Giant Nature's Promise Ground Beef, 1#
• Giant Nature's Promise Ground Beef Patties
• Giant Extra Lean Ground Beef 96/04, 1#
  

Price Chopper
Packaged products (Sell-by dates ranging from 09/19/09 to 09/28/09)

• Price Chopper Meatloaf & Meatball Mix, 1# & 2.5#
• Price Chopper Extra Lean Ground Beef 96/4, 1#
• Price Chopper Fresh Ground Beef Chuck for Chili 80/20, 1#
  

Shaw's Supermarkets, Inc.
Packaged products (Sell-by dates ranging from 09/19/09 to 09/28/09)

• Shaw's Fresh Ground Beef 93/7, 1# and 2#
• Shaw's Fresh Ground Beef 80/20, 1#, 2#, 3#
• Shaw's Fresh Ground Beef 75/25, 1# and 3#
• Shaw's Fresh Ground Sirloin Beef Patties 90/10, 1.3#
• Shaw's Fresh Ground Round Beef Patties 85/15, 1.3#
• Shaw's Fresh Ground Beef Patties 80/20, 1.3#
• Shaw's Fresh Ground Beef Patties Family Pack 80/20, 3#
• Shaw's Angus Ground Beef 85/15, 1#
• Shaw's Fresh Ground Round Beef 85/15, 1#, 2#, 3#
• Shaw's Natural Ground Beef 90/10, 1#
• Shaw's Natural Ground Beef 85/15, 1#
• Shaw's Fresh Ground Sirloin 90/10, 1#, 2#, 3#
• Meatloaf & Meatball Mix, 1#
  

Trader Joe's
Brick packs (Sell-by dates 10/06/09 or 10/07/09)

• Trader Joe's Butcher Shop Fine Quality Meats Ground Beef 85/15, 1#
• Trader Joe's Butcher Shop Fine Quality Meats Ground Beef 80/20, 1#
  

• Trader Joe's Butcher Shop Fine Quality Meats Beef Patty 85/15, 1#
• Trader Joe's Butcher Shop Fine Quality Meats Ground Beef 96/4 Extra Lean, 1#
  

Other products

• Cases of 10-lb. Fairbank Farms fresh ground beef chubs (for store grind). These products had a sell date of 10/3/09, 10/4/09 or 10/5/09, but will likely not bear those sell-by dates on their package labels. These products were distributed to retail establishments in Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia for further processing. Consumers with concerns should contact their point of purchase.
  

Consumer Resources

• Consumers with questions about the recall can call Fairbank Farms' toll-free hotline at 1-877-546-0122.
• For more information about the products, go to www.fairbankfarms.com.
• USDA's Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is also available, in English and Spanish, and can be reached from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (EST) Monday through Friday.
• It is recommended that consumers eat ground beef or ground beef patties cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Consumers with additional food safety questions can "Ask Karen," the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov.