Ground Beef Recall 2009 Calls into Question Food and Consumer Good Safety Procedures

Trader Joe's and other retailers are affected by the Fairbank Farms beef recall, 2009. The ground beef recall deals with a particularly deadly form of E. coli. Do you ever wonder about the state of consumer product safety in general?

Ground Beef Recall 2009: Know the Facts!

The Ridgefield Press reports that the most recent beef recall 2009 may affect about 545,699 pounds of ground beef. Recall warnings went out when E. coli was detected. At this time, the hamburger recall 2009 affects customers of Fairbank Farms ground beef in Connecticut, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maine. Add to this Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, New York, New Jersey and Maryland.

While the contaminated meat has been removed from stores - which is of little help, since it is more than 20 days past its expiration date -- the beef recall may reach as far as your freezer, if you purchased ground beef from Trader Joe's, Price Chopper or BJ's Warehouse. Check your meat and look for the code EST. 492 and a sell by date that ranges from 09-19 to 09-28.

Making matters worse, Fairbank Farms reveals that the ground beef recall may affect ACME, Ford Brothers, Giant Food Stores, Shaw's and perhaps others, as buyers may have redistributed the tainted meat.

Beef Recall 2009: How Old is the Meat in Your Freezer?

It is troubling that the beef recall, 2009 takes place in November, when the tainted meat was sold in September. Adding insult to injury, if you conscientiously separate ground meat into individual packages prior to freezing, the ground beef recall may now affect the unlabeled packets in your freezer. You may either take your chances or toss out all the meat. Since you lack the proper packaging, the odds of receiving a full refund - such as it is offered to customers returning beef recall affected meat in its packages - are slim.

This echoes a similar situation that affected California, Arizona, Utah and Colorado just a few short months ago. On August 6, 2009 the Food Safety and Inspection Servicedisclosed that Beef Packers recalled 825,769 pounds of beef for salmonellosis. Expiration dates ranged from the end of June to the middle of July.

Questions Brought Up By the Hamburger Recall, 2009 Consumers Might Ask

Why does it take more than a month to post a recall of fresh meat, which greatly heightens the chances of seeing the majority already ingested by consumers enjoying fresh rather than frozen meat? It also begs the question if consumers should be allowed to resell meat and similar products, especially if the identifying packaging may be changed.

Do Comments to Consumer Product Safety Commission Reveal Industry Nonchalance?

The Consumer Product Safety Commission invited comments on its proposed rules tightening consumer registration regulations on infant and toddler items. Some comments sought exclusions from the need to include consumer registration cards, while others pointed out that small businesses would be adversely affected by having to pre-print cards. Then there was some wrangling with respect to what is a durable nursery item in the first place. Perhaps the most telling is the apportioning of responsibility for including consumer response cards: should it be the manufacturer, the importer, the reseller or the retailer?

What do consumer registration cards have to do with the beef recall 2009? Perhaps they showcase the uncertainty about processes in place to more effectively alert the public to a ground beef recall. Then again, they also show that there is a lot of willingness to let someone else take on the cost and responsibility of consumer protection. In the meantime, as stated by Protection Commissioner Jerry Farrell, Jr.: "If in doubt, throw it out."

Sources
http://www.acorn-online.com/
http://www.fairbankfarms.com/
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/