Sam’s Club supplier recalls 500,000 pounds of beef

“Action comes after 5 get sick” was the headline of a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel yesterday about the Sam’s Club/Carneco Foods recall announced Wednesday. The following products were recalled:
-Six-pound bags of “Northern Plains Beef Sirloin and Beef Patties, 85/15” with a packaging code 17304. Also marked “Best by 12/18/04.”
-Ten-pound boxes of “Northern Plains Gourmet Beef Patties” with a packaging code 17304. Also marked “Best by 12/18/04.”
-Eight- and 10-pound boxes and chubs of “Fine Ground Beef 91/09” marked with “Sell/Freeze By 7/10/04” or “Sell/Freeze By 04 Jul 10.”
-Seven-pound boxes of “Seasoned Beef Patties (Misformed)” with a packaging code 17304. Also marked “Best by 12/18/04.”
All the products bear the establishment number “EST. 245P” inside the USDA seal of inspection.
Wisconsin state health officials urged any recent Sam’s Club customers who bought ground beef to check their freezers and return any Northern Plains-brand beef patties from the suspected shipment.
The frozen ground beef and beef patties were shipped to Sam’s Club stores in Wisconsin and elsewhere in time for the Fourth of July holidays.
John Schaller, vice president of supplier Carneco Foods LLC, said the product packaged mostly in six-pound bags and 10-pound boxes is not likely on any stores shelves still, but he said it could still be sitting in consumers’ freezers at home.
According to Wisconsin state health officials, one Waukesha County resident developed an E. coli infection after purchasing beef patties July 3 from a Sam’s Club store in Waukesha.