More than 4,000 pounds of rib eye and other fresh beef products have been recalled because they could contain contaminated materials linked to mad cow disease.
The questionable meat was processed at Fruitland American Meat in Jackson, Missouri. It was shipped to the Whole Foods distribution center in Connecticut, and ended up at 34 Whole Food stores in the Northeastern part of the country, as well as at a restaurant in New York City and another in Kansas City, Missouri.
The beef was produced and packaged between September 2013 and April 2014, according to a statement from the USDA. The affected products include 40-pound cases of cryovac packages of bone-in Rain Crow Ranch Ribeye with the establishment number 2316 and quartered beef carcasses with the same establishment number.
The inspectors found no indication that any of the animals slaughtered showed signs of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, (mad cow disease).
A spokesperson for the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service said, “All of these animals received full inspection, both before and after slaughter, by FSIS personnel and showed no abnormal signs or symptoms associated with BSE.”
“Out of abundance of caution, FSIS issued a Class II recall (a remote risk) for product that does not have paperwork showing that nerve tissue was removed.” FSIS and the company have received no reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.
The USDA requires brain and spinal tissue to be removed from meat products from cattle 30 years and older, as it can carry the protein that causes mad cow disease.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (CDC) human consumption of meat contaminated with mad cow disease can result in Creutzfeldt-Jakob, a fatal, rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disorder.
According to the CDC, the first case was in 1996 and so far, a total of 229 patients with this disease from 12 countries have been identified.
If you are concerned about a reaction to contaminated meat, contact your healthcare provider. For more information, contact one of our Gacovino Lake attorneys at 1-800-246-HURT (4878).
