Wal-Mart pulls tainted ground beef from shelves

Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. released retail packages of ground beef containing E. coli and then voluntarily recalled the product at its plant in Sherman, Texas, last week after the company did its own microbiological testing.

The only retailer that received the contaminated ground beef in 12 states, including Missouri, is Wal-Mart, according to Tyson officials. There were no illnesses reported or associated with any packages of ground beef produced by the plant as of Friday, Tyson officials said.

Wal-Mart spokeswoman Jami Arms said that stores affected by the recall were notified to immediately remove the tainted product from the shelves after they learned of the contamination Wednesday evening.

As of Monday, Arms did not have a complete list of Missouri locations that were affected.

"We took the extra precaution of placing a computerized block on the recalled products so they can't pass through the cash register," she said. "We encourage any customer who believes that they have the impacted product to return it to their nearest supercenter for a full refund or replacement."

Each package bears the establishment code EST 244S as well as a "Use or freeze by" code date of June 13, 2007, according to a Friday Tyson news release. Specific products that were recalled include:

• 1.5-pound trays of "Angus Steak Burger All Natural, 85/15, 6- 1/4 Pound Patties."
• 1.33-pound trays of "Angus Steak Burger All Natural, 85/15, Extra Thick, 4- 1/3 Pound Patties."
• 2.25-pound trays of "73/27 All Natural Ground Beef, Carne Molida De Res."
• 5.5-pound trays of "73/27 All Natural Ground Beef, Carne Molida De Res."

Wal-Mart management at the Cape Girardeau, Fredericktown, Jackson, Perryville and Sikeston supercenters in Southeast Missouri all said either they did not carry the affected ground beef products or they did not carry the product from the date of the recall.

Other states the affected product was distributed to include Wal-Mart stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.

For more information, call Tyson at (800) 233-6332 or Wal-Mart at (800) 925-6278.

tkrakowiak@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137