Topps Meat Co LLC, based in Elizabeth NJ, has voluntarily expanded its recall announced September 25 to include 21.7 million pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E coli O157:H7. This represents all products produced by Topps with a "sell by date" or "best if used by date" that falls between Sept 25, 2007, and Sept 25, 2008. This information may be found on the back panel of the package. All recalled products will have a USDA establishment number of EST 9748, which is on the back panel of the package and/or in the USDA legend.
Initially, Topps had voluntarily recalled about 331,582 pounds of its frozen ground beef patties from stores nationwide.
The problem was discovered through sampling done by the New York State Department of Health as part of its coordinated investigation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention into reported illnesses.
Products affected by this expanded recall were distributed to retail grocery stores and foodservice institutions throughout the United States. Based on consumption patterns, the company believes the vast majority of the recalled product has been consumed.
Topps has established a Consumer Hotline to answer questions concerning this recall. Consumers may phone 888-734-0451 or visit the Topps Meat web site.
