Earlier this month, Commerce, Calif-based Sterling Pacific Meat Co. recalled more than 3,500 pounds of ground beef products that might be contaminated with E. coli, according to a story in the San Jose Mercury News. Some of the products were ultimately sold to Fatburger restaurants.
Fatburger has released a statement regarding the recall:
| On Aug. 13, 2009, Fatburger Corp. was notified by our California meat supplier, Sterling Meat Co., that on May 18, 2009, Sterling produced a 1,500-pound batch of beef for our Southern California market. Standard operational procedures called for a batch test by Sterling using a Bax system, in which a presumptive positive [contamination] result was indicated. Following standard procedures, the batch was pulled from immediate shipment and tested a second time on May 19, 2009, using a Biomedix system, which produced a conclusive negative [contamination free] result. The beef was released to Superior Anhausner Foods and was shipped to the Fatburger Southern California market. In less than a week, the beef supply was depleted. The company did not receive any contamination type complaints or reported food illnesses during this time period, nor during the following 30 days after the depletion of this batch of beef. The beef currently available in the Fatburger system has been tested and is free of contamination. At Fatburger, we are proud to uphold a 57-year commitment to taste and quality in every burger we serve to every guest. We use 100 percent fresh, pure lean beef from grain-fed steers raised in the United States. We are grateful for a loyal following of customers that appreciate our commitment to quality and continue to demonstrate their support. |
