The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for approximately 14,800 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, that were produced by Texas American Food Service Corporation, a Fort Worth, Texas, establishment doing business as American Fresh Foods. This public health alert was initiated after a trailer containing the products was reported stolen by the company.  The consumer products subject to this public health alert include:

  • 2-pound approximate weight packages of "73/27 GROUND BEEF" bearing a sell-by date of "12.30.07"
  • 2-pound approximate weight packages of "80/20 GROUND BEEF CHUCK" bearing a sell-by date of "12.31.07"
  • 1-pound approximate weight packages of "85/15 GROUND BEEF ROUND" bearing a sell-by date of "12.31.07"
  • 1-pound approximate weight packages of "90/10 GROUND BEEF SIRLOIN" bearing a sell-by date of "12.31.07"
  • 1-pound approximate weight packages of "96/04 EXTRA LEAN GROUND BEEF, 4% FAT" bearing a sell-by date of "12.31.07"

Each package label 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 also subject to this health alert include:

* 40-pound "net wt." box of "73/27 100% GROUND BEEF; REWORK MAP"
* 260-pound "net wt." combo bin of " CHUCK 100% GROUND BEEF; REWORK MAP"
* 370-pound "net wt." combo bin of "SIRLOIN 100% GROUND BEEF; REWORK"

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.

WAIT – how did anyone know that the meat that was stolen was contaminated with E. coli O157:H7? 

UPDATE – Well, I did not have to wait long for an answer.  According to a press release from the company this morning:

FORT WORTH, Texas, Dec. 28 /PRNewswire/ — American Fresh Foods in Ft. Worth, Texas, is urging Texas consumers not to purchase its ground beef under questionable circumstances. This precaution comes after the company reported, early the morning of December 27, the theft of one of its refrigerated trucks containing 14,800 pounds of ground beef products. 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.

I guess I could have called or emailed FSIS’s Karen?


I’m Karen, the FSIS Virtual Representative. I am an automated response system, available 24/7.  I can answer questions from the public about the prevention of foodborne illness, as well as the safe handling, preparation, and storage of meat, poultry, and egg products, from an extensive database of food safety information.