12M pounds of beef pulled by JBS Tolleson

An Arizona meat processor is recalling 12 million pounds of raw beef that health officials say already has sickened 246 people in 25 states with salmonella.

JBS Tolleson Inc. on Tuesday said that it was voluntarily expanding an October recall by about 5 million pounds, making it one of the largest recalls of ground beef in history.

It’s also one of the largest beef re-

calls involving the bacterial infection salmonella, according to Bill Marler, a nationally recognized foodsafety lawyer in Seattle.

The beef products, which are primarily ground beef, were packaged from July 26 to Sept. 7, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which inspects and regulates the meat and poultry industry.

The beef was shipped to retailers nationwide, the USDA said in a public-health bulletin on Tuesday.

The list of affected products includes the following brand names: Kroger, Cedar River Farms, Comnor Perfect Choice, Gourmet Burger, Grass Run Farms Natural, JBS Generic and Showcase.

The products are marked with the federal inspection or “establishment” code “EST. 267” on the packaging.

JBS Tolleson is part of JBS S.A., the world’s largest processor of meat and poultry and headquartered in Sao Paulo, Brazil. It reported more than $50 billion in sales in 2017.

Officials with JBS did not return calls Tuesday. In a statement, the company said its highest priority is food safety.

“Based on the results of this investigation and a full evaluation of our internal processes and controls, we have made the decision to voluntarily test 100 percent of the beef trimmings produced in the Tolleson facility,” officials said in the statement.

JBS has faced four other recalls of products in the past 16 months, including one last month tied to E. coli.

It recalled 50 tons of ground beef processed in Utah after federal inspectors found the bacterial infection in samples of meat at a company plant in Utah.

The three other recalls involved contamination of foreign matter in packaging, including plastic, metal and foam packaging.

JBS said no beef in Tuesday’s expanded recall has yet been linked to cases of sickness. Officials said in their statement the added recall was “in the best interests” of public health.

“Upon notification of the first illness directly linked to product from our facility, we initiated the original recall and immediately conducted an internal investigation,” JBS officials said in the statement.

All recalls are voluntary under the USDA because it does not consider salmonella a public health risk in ground beef, red meat or poultry.

Marler on Tuesday praised JBS for taking action even though federal authorities didn’t require them to do anything.

“Of note is the fact that salmonella is not considered an adulterant, so JBS could legally refuse to do the recall,” Marler said. “It should be commended for the recall.”

A July 2017 notice from the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service describes a series of “egregious” and “inhumane” livestock practices at the company’s Tolleson facility.

Federal officials found two “mentally incoherent” cows laying on their sides, “moaning as if in pain.” An inspector asked for the cows to be euthanized, but one died in its pen before it could be put down, according to the notice.

Documents show JBS Tolleson objected to the original federal notice, contesting that “we feel that we were operating in a humane fashion.”

The USDA inspectors deferred action and gave JBS Tolleson a chance to implement a proposed action plan, according to an October 2017 agency document.

JBS Tolleson is the city’s largest employer. It has 1,650 employees — nearly 12 percent of the city’s total jobs, according to Tolleson’s most recent financial report.

The plant has more than twice as many workers as the city’s second-largest employer, Papa John’s Salads and Produce.

Tolleson has about 7,000 residents.

State health officials say the salmonella outbreak tied to the beef could grow.

“There’s always a possibility with these outbreaks,” said Eugene Livar, interim bureau chief of epidemiology and disease control for the Arizona Department of Health Services. “Hopefully we start seeing a decline.”

The department’s role in the outbreak has been to identify potential victims and trace back where they came into contact with the tainted meat.

State and federal officials advise people to check their freezers for the meat and to throw it out. They can also return it to the place of purchase.

In October, 21 Arizonans grew ill after consuming meat linked to the outbreak, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. The number has since doubled to 42.

California has reported 66 illnesses tied to the outbreak, more than any other state. Colorado has reported 50 cases.

So far, 59 people have been hospitalized nationwide with salmonella poisoning related to the meat, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a Nov. 15 advisory.

The first illnesses were reported July 26 and continued to Sept. 7.

No deaths have been reported. Salmonella is one of the most common bacterial foodborne illnesses.

Consumption of food contaminated with salmonella can cause diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating the contaminated product.

The illness usually lasts four to seven days. Most people recover without treatment.

In some people, diarrhea may be severe. Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other places in the body.

The strain involved in the recall is called Salmonella Newport, which is typically associated with dairy cattle and can be resistant to antibiotics.

Anyone with questions about the recall can contact the JBS USA Consumer Hotline at 800-727-2333. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Arizona time Monday through Friday.