Stolen Beef May be Full of E. Coli

FORT WORTH - American Fresh Foods in Fort Worth is urging Texas consumers not to purchase its ground beef under questionable circumstances. This precaution comes after the company reported, early the morning of Dec. 27, the theft of one of its refrigerated trucks containing 14,800 pounds of ground beef products.

31 December 2007

2 minute read

North America

E.coli

According to American Fresh Foods' officials, the stolen meat had been placed in a refrigerated truck and held on the plant's property. The product, a portion of which had been segregated as possibly affected with E. coli O157:H7, was being removed from fresh commercial sale.

"Consumers need to know that our meat products being sold through normal retail channels -- such as grocery stores -- are safe. Our primary concern, however, is for the safety of those people who may be persuaded to buy beef products under questionable circumstances," says Tim Biela, chief food safety and quality assurance officer for American Fresh Foods. "Our first priority is their safety. We do not know how this product has been handled since it left our control. The stolen truck had only a limited supply of refrigeration fuel."

American Fresh Foods is working with USDA officials and local and state law enforcement authorities to issue a public health alert and to recover the stolen product and vehicle.

Each package label on the consumer products subject to the public health alert bears the establishment number "EST. 13116" inside the USDA mark of inspection and the company name "American Fresh Foods, Ft. Worth, TX 76102" below the nutrition information. Each package has a net weight of approximately 1 to 2 pounds.

Bulk product were are also subject to this alert. Each bulk product label bears the establishment number "EST. 13116" inside the USDA mark of inspection as well as a date of "12-19-07" with the production information filled in by hand.

The consumer and bulk ground beef products were produced on Dec. 19, 2007.

The company asks that anyone who may have seen or knows the location of the tractor trailer immediately contact the Fort Worth, Texas, Police Department's Crime Stoppers hotline at 817-469-8477.

The tractor trailer, which bears an "Xtra Lease" logo on both side panels toward the rear of the trailer, is a 2000 Great Dane model with the trailer number Q61232. The truck has a Maine license plate number 1925071.

If a consumer has purchased American Fresh Foods ground beef products under questionable circumstances, like in a parking lot or along the side of the road, Biela recommends the following:

"Do not consume the product; but retain the packaging label, discard the product, and immediately report the incident to the American Fresh Foods consumer hotline number at 1-800-724-1136 (This toll free line will be available beginning Friday, December 28, at 9 a.m. central standard time)."

"We really appreciate the public's help with this situation," says Biela. "Anyone with information leading to the arrest and conviction of the culprits and the recovery of the stolen vehicle will be appropriately rewarded."