IATP | Health Observatory

Safeway recalls ground beef sold in nine states

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Safeway Inc. announced Thursday a major, nine-state recall of salmonella-tainted ground beef sold between June 6 and July 14.

Safeway /quotes/comstock/13*!swy/quotes/nls/swy (SWY 18.56, -0.06, -0.32%) , the giant grocery store chain based in Pleasanton, Calif., said the recall involved 825,769 pounds, or nearly 43 tons, of meat that the company said "may be linked to an outbreak of Salmonellosis."

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the meat was processed at a Beef Packers Inc. meat-packing plant in Fresno, Calif., and sold in Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

Beef Packers is a subsidiary of privately-held Cargill, one of the world's biggest food producers and marketers, with sales last year of $120 billion.

Safeway was asking customers to check their freezers and discard any fresh ground beef, ground beef patties or meat loaf carrying the above sell-by dates or bring it to the store for a full refund.

Safeway said the Salmonella Newport strain linked to the recall is resistant to many commonly prescribed antibiotics. While it is one of the most common food-borne illnesses, it can be life-threatening and poses the greatest risk to those with weak immune systems, including infants and the elderly.

Jim Jelter is Industrials Editor for MarketWatch in San Francisco.

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