I am sure that
American Fresh Foods in Fort Worth, Texas was thinking about doing this, but I thought I would make the offer. If American Fresh Foods wants to double the reward, that would be great.
As you recall, last night American Fresh Foods and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a public health alert for approximately 14,800 pounds of ground beef products (that is 59,200 quarter pounders) that might be contaminated with
E. coli O157:H7. The public health alert was initiated after a trailer (like the one in this picture) containing the products was reported stolen by the company. 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." Frankly, why the contaminated hamburger was not destroyed is an issue. What was it being stored for? And, how does someone steal a trailer and a truck and no one notices? Where the hell did they take it?
Regardless of why American Fresh Foods was storing
E. coli-tainted meat in a trailer, the product needs to be returned, so it is not consumed. Remember,
E. coli O157:H7 is an adulterant in hamburger. 10 to 50 bacteria will kill a child - 250,000 bacteria will fit on the head of a pin. You cannot see it, taste it or smell it. Since the FSIS reported this last night, 24 hours have passed. At the speed limit, the truck could have traveled 1,300 miles. That is 700 miles less than showing up in the parking lot of my law office here in Seattle. If you have the truck, or know someone who does, and it leads to his or her arrest, please call 911 and then me at 1-206-794-5043.
Posted on December 28, 2007 by E. coli Attorney
