Today, National Steak and Poultry has confirmed that the recall is for beef products "sold primarily" to Moe’s, Carino’s Italian Grill, and KRM Restaurants (KRM Restaurant Group operates Jeremiah Johnson’s and nine locations of the 54th Street Grill). I have confirmation from state health departments of 1 illness each in Iowa, Kansas and Colorado and 2 in South Dakota. The 1 ill in Washington ate in Nebraska. Michigan has not yet responded. The CDC, that frankly by now should have all of this at its fingertips, remains silent as well.

So, what restaurant chain or restaurants did the ill folks consume the “mechanically tenderized” steaks that, according to National Steak and Poultry and the FSIS, consist of "Boneless Beef Sirloin Steak," "Boneless Beef Tips," "Savory Sirloin Tips," "Bacon Wrapped Beef Fillet," "Beef Shoulder Marinated Tender Medallions," "75 percent Boneless Beef Trimmings," "Beef Trimmings,” "Beef Sirloin Philly Steak," "EGN Boneless Beef Sirloin Steak," "EGN Boneless Beef Sirloin Tri Tip Steak," "KRM Boneless Beef Sirloin Steak," "Carino’s Boneless Beef Outside Skirt Steak," "Carino’s Boneless Beef Outside Skirt Steak Pieces" and "Moe’s Beef Steak.”

I have the above map in my office by artist Scott Hanson that comes in handy during nationwide outbreaks (see red dots on states that report illnesses related to the consumption of National Steak and Poultry products – remember, Washington does not count – and, that is a peach on Georgia). Clearly, it is a Midwest outbreak.  However, what still is a mystery is why we do not know which restaurants that the ill people ate at.

Why the mystery over the meat? Why do we know that National Steak and Poultry “SOLD PRIMARILY” (are there others?) to Moe’s, Carino’s Italian Grill and KRM Restaurants, but really have no idea which of the named restaurants are actually linked to ill people? I guess one way is to see which of those restaurants have places in those six states? Or, the restaurants themselves could come clean? Or, the state health departments or the CDC could step up? Or, a reporter could ask the tough questions?

So, really, why the mystery over where the meat went? And, why the silence on where people became ill?