3.25.2012 4:23 PM

Details on the Hamburger Patty Recall

Recall comes four days after the company involved had already informed its customers of potential contamination.

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Photo: Verena Matthew / Istock

By Dan Shapley

Nearly 17,000 pounds of ground beef patties are being recalled because of possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Sysco Seattle.

Sysco is recalling the following prime rib beef patties:

10-pound boxes of 8-ounce patties, with product code 55317, and production code 11 NO 22
10-pound boxes of 71-gram patties, with product code 55391 and bearing a production code of 11 SE 01 or 12 JA 04

The recall stems from a recall by a Canadian firm, New Food Classics, and the USDA announcement came four days after Sysco, a Seattle firm, contacted its own customers. A March 23 announcement by the USDA indicated that it had been unable to contact Sysco to get its cooperation in the recall, which begs questions about the government's ability to effectively recall tainted food and communicate with companies that distribute food. While it may be comforting to know the government would initiate a public health announcement even without the cooperation of the company involved, it is unclear how the company could have known of the potential contamination and informed its own customers four days before the USDA issued its public alert.

The patties were distributed to restaurants in Arizona, Colorado, Texas and Washington state.

Consumers with questions should contact Susan Linn at 832-489-1799.

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