Hannaford Beef Recalls for Salmonella Poisoining Total 30,000 Pounds of Meat

By Daniel Distant, Christian Post Reporter Monday, July 23, 2012

Hannaford beef recalls were scheduled for nearly 30,000 pounds of meat. The beef, supplied by Cargill Beef, was pulled from the Maine-based supermarket chain because it may contain salmonella, which could poison customers if eaten.

Hannaford's beef recalls were the result of an investigation by Cargill Beef, whose Wyalusing, Pa. plant produced the potentially tainted meat May 25. 29,339 pounds of the stuff was looked at after salmonella sicknesses were reported across Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Vermont from June 6 to June 13, according to a USDA release Sunday.

"Foodborne illnesses are unfortunate and we are sorry for anyone who became sick from eating ground beef we may have produced," John Keating, the president of Cargill, said in a statement.

Hannaford supermarkets across Maine are trying to ensure that no one eats salmonella beef, is encouraging all to check "use or sell by" dates between May 29 and June 16, and return products that match the numbers. Hannaford is offering refunds as well.

While salmonella outbreaks do not surface that often, they are particularly dangerous, especially for immune systems weakened by weather, disease, age, or other factors.

"Salmonella infections can be life-threatening, especially to those with weak immune systems, such as infants, the elderly, and persons with HIV infection or those undergoing chemotherapy," the USDA said in their release. "The most common manifestations of salmonellosis are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours. Additional symptoms may be chills, headache, nausea and vomiting that can last up to seven days."

This isn't the first time Hannaford has informed it's customer base about problems with food. Last week, they pulled meatball products off the shelves at the suggestion of Buona Vita Inc., a New Jersey-based company. Their meatball paninis were tainted with Listeria monocytogenes.

"The problem was discovered during microbiological testing by the Ohio Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service," a USDA release said of the voluntary recall. "No illnesses have been reported."