NOV. 25–ASHVILLE, N.Y.– Fairbank Farms is voluntarily recalling approximately 319,763 pounds of ground beef products produced on November 5 and 6, at its facility here due to possible contamination with E. coli O157:H7.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), no illnesses have been associated with these products.

Fairbank Farms took immediate steps to initiate this voluntary recall after being notified by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)that a sample of ground beef produced by Fairbank Farms was found to contain E. coli O157:H7. The recalled products were shipped by Fairbank Farms to retail distributors in Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, and Pennsylvania.

Fairbank Farms quickly notified every customer who received the affected products and asked them to remove any remaining product from store shelves or existing inventory and to notify their customers to return any of these products that have not been consumed to the store where they were purchased for a full refund.

“We are taking this voluntary action as a precautionary measure because we are committed to providing consumers with a safe and high quality product,” says Rick Fahle, president of Fairbank Farms. “We are working closely with the USDA and our customers to make sure products covered by this recall are removed from store shelves and consumers’ homes as soon as possible.”

Fairbank Farms operates under the highest food safety standards, including a stringent Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) program – a science-based production system designed to minimize the possibility of microbial contamination.

Consumers can be assured that thorough cooking of ground beef to 160. F kills the bacteria. Consumers with questions are urged to call USDA’s Meat
and Poultry Hotline at 1-800-535-4555 or to visit http://www.FightBAC.org.