Packaged ground sirloin may contain E. coli bacteria

OMAHA, Neb. -- Five cases of E. coli infection in Minnesota and Wisconsin have been linked to frozen ground sirloin patties sold by Sam's Club and manufactured at a Nebraska plant, health officials said.\nOfficials said four Minnesota residents and one Wisconsin resident became ill in July after eating sirloin patties purchased at Sam's Club stores in White Bear Lake and Eagan in Minnesota, and in Waukesha, Wis.\nThe plant in Columbus is run by the Oklahoma City-based Carneco Holding Inc.\nOfficials are advising people not to eat frozen sirloin patties sold under the label "Northern Plains" with the lot number 17304-CAR2 and with a "Best Used By" date of Dec. 18, 2004.\nOfficials said the implicated meat is being pulled from all Sam's Club stores. They also said it's possible the sirloin patties may have been sold by other retailers.\nJohn Schaller, vice president of operations for Carneco, said Sam's Club notified his company about the illnesses on Aug. 2. The recall involves 497,000 pounds of meat distributed to Sam's Club stores in 10 states including: Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Utah and Wisconsin.\nThe investigation into the how the meat was contaminated and how far it has spread was just beginning, said Dr. Harry Hull, Minnesota state epidemiologist.\n"There is the potential for this to be much larger," he said.\nThe bacteria produce a toxin that causes severe or bloody diarrhea and sometimes other serious complications. While most healthy people recover, children and the elderly are at greatest risk, Hull said.\nThe company is recalling three products -- all processed on June 21 -- that could be contaminated: ground sirloin patties, 80 percent lean beef patties and 90 percent lean fresh ground beef.\nSchaller said that all the fresh meat was probably sold long ago.\n"But the problem is that anyone can put this in their freezer and eat it six months from now," Schaller said. "We are concerned for anyone who becomes ill."\nConsumers can return the implicated meat to their local Sam's Club and receive a refund.