WinCo Foods Recalls Ground Beef Purchased at its Modesto, California Store

BOISE, Idaho, April 10 /PRNewswire/ -- WinCo Foods announced today that it is issuing a voluntary Class I recall on all ground beef products sold at its Modesto, California store between the dates of Saturday, April 3, 2010 and Friday, April 9, 2010.  The store is located at 2200 Plaza Parkway in Modesto.  At this point the recall pertains only to the Modesto, California store.

Late yesterday, WinCo Foods was advised by a principal of a reputable food testing laboratory that, as a part of an independently funded survey of ground beef sold in supermarkets, it had found two samples of ground beef purchased at the Modesto store to be positive for E. coli 0157:H7 (a bacterium that causes food borne illness).  Out of our great concern for the health of our customers and our ongoing commitment to provide only safe, quality products, WinCo Foods decided it would be appropriate to issue this recall.

As soon as the company was notified, it pulled all ground beef products at the store, broke down and sanitized all processing equipment and contracted with Analytical Laboratories, Inc. (an independent ISO certified and accredited lab) to conduct follow up sanitation verification testing.  WinCo Foods has also notified its ground beef suppliers and will continue to work with them to try to pinpoint and to eliminate any source of contamination.  The Stanislaus County Health Department, CDPH and CDC have also been notified and WinCo Foods is committed to fully cooperating in any further steps that may be necessary to assure the public that the matter has been properly handled and resolved.

E. coli 0157:H7 causes abdominal cramping, vomiting and a diarrheal illness, often with bloody stools.  Most healthy adults can recover completely within a week.  Young children and the elderly are at highest risk for developing HUS, which can lead to serious kidney damage and even death.

Individuals who have eaten ground beef purchased from the Modesto store between April 3 and today and who have experienced any of these symptoms should contact their doctor or health care provider immediately.  Any such illness should be reported to the state or local health authorities.

WinCo Foods reminds consumers they should use safe food-handling practices when preparing ground beef, including following package directions for cooking at proper temperatures; washing hands, surfaces, and utensils after contact with this type of product; avoiding cross contamination; and refrigerating products properly.  WinCo recommends checking the FDA website for further information and answers concerning food borne illness and food safety.

SOURCE WinCo Foods