RGF Environmental Urges Meat Processors to Audit Safety Systems In Wake of the Largest Recall of Ground Beef Products in Six Years

RIVIERA BEACH, Fla., May 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- A government ordered recall of ground beef products suspected of being tainted with dangerous E. coli bacteria and shipped to at least 12 states is "a wake-up call" to the industry, according to a Florida-based manufacturer of food safety systems.

RGF Environmental, located in Riviera Beach, Florida, is an international manufacturer providing global companies with products to safely treat and sanitize air, water and food without chemicals.

"Now would be a good time for meat processors to take an audit of their safety systems," said Bill Svec with RGF.  "It's a continuing challenge to employ safe, sanitized systems to treat food products prior to sale and consumption."

The USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service was notified of possible E. coli illnesses on May 12.  The suspected contaminated beef from a Detroit-based meat packing company is believed to have affected 11 diners in four states from April 22 to May 2.  As a result, the packing company is voluntarily recalling about 1.8 million pounds of ground beef.

RGF, the U.S. patent holder for PHI-Cell® Technology, has over the last 20 years installed various surface sanitation tunnels used for meat, dairy and fruit and vegetable processors. The PHI technology has been validated for control of Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia Coli O157:H7 and Staphylococcus aureus, as well as Mold Yeast and viruses.

Last year the company introduced a PHI Treatment Tunnel-PLUS system, which uniquely provides direct 360-degree surface application on all exposed meat surfaces resulting in 99.9% surface microbial reduction.

Dr. James Marsden, a professor of food safety and security at Kansas State University and adviser for the North American Meat Processors Association, said the all-natural photohydroionization® (PHI) is an advanced oxidation technology that acts as an additional strategic intervention for trimmings and sub-primals. The PHI technology allows for the anti-microbial treatment of meat products without leaving chemical residues.

For details on photohydroionization for food processors, please go to the new RGF website at www.rgffoodsanitation.com. For more information on RGF products, please go to www.rgf.com or call (800) 842-7771.

SOURCE RGF Environmental