Warning Shot Over The Bow....Recall at Adams Farm

Hello! What a day we've had when a customer calls us to inform us that our beef processor has been involved in a beef recall. An amazing tribute to those who are paying VERY close attention to developments in the spheres of food safety. A well deserved hats-off!

Our beef is processed by Adam's Farm of Athol, MA and they were just involved in a beef recall that affected over 2,000 lb of beef from local farms in our area. The link is here: http://www.telegram.com/article/20100113/NEWS/1130377

The official recall is here: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Recall_002_2010_Release/index.asp

While our beef is not involved in this recall, a shot of panic shot through my very being as the beef we are selling was processed the day after the beef in question was processed. After a healthy dose of expletives and OMGS, I regained some of my composure and called several key people. Among them my wife, a research biologist who is in the midst of some of the best minds in biology (and is one of them!), to help me gather data, information and yes....my composure. And a call to Adam's Farm.

The recall is a result of a consumer falling ill from consuming pathogenic E.coli, from ground beef from a farm that had its beef processed at Adam's Farm on November 11, 2009. Since Adams Farm processed beef from 3 farms that day, all beef processed that day was recalled as a precaution. I learned by the end of today that the testing results from the other two farms' products were complete and no pathogenic E.coli was found. A single source was identified and no detectable cross contamination (by USDA protocols) was found.

It was reported to me later that the consumer who fell ill consumed the ground beef raw as tar-tar AFTER having left the beef out at room temperature for 24 hrs. My microbiologists, on honorary retainer, say that this makes for incredible bacterial multiplication......or should we say- exponential (super size me !) growth!

However, now that the cat is out of the bag, I am asking Adams and the USDA just how often testing occurs, as by USDA accounts, testing is characterized as "random-though-frequent enough to catch potential problems". I have a very hard time with this assertion since a month has passed since the contamination event occurred. As of today, I'm not sure if there was testing conducted during the processing session of November 12, 2009. I am awaiting confirmation. I am convinced that the facility undergoes extensive cleaning and sanitizing at the end of each day, so there should have been no cross contamination from the processing session of November 11, 2009 to our processing session on November 12, 2009.

The official guidelines for testing are here:

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Recall_002_2010_Release/index.asp

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Frame/FrameRedirect.asp?main=http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/background/mircrotest.htm

http://origin-www.fsis.usda.gov/Science/Ecoli_Raw_Beef_Testing_Data_YTD/index.asp

I've also looked into independent testing of our own beef, and what I found was a very expensive routine to sample, transport (for chain of custody integrity) and then testing.

Should we be doing more testing ? Can we bear the weight of independent 100% testing for our own beef ? Can we gain enough confidence from the current USDA practices ? We've chosen our processors on the basis of cleanliness and demonstration of capability and transparency. We are also at the mercy (or benefit?) of the agencies charged with assuring safety and wholesomeness.

Why do we bring this to your attention? It is of high concern to us and we expect it to be of concern to you. We are now on the trail of discovery to learn in greater detail how things get tested in USDA-inspected facilities. Maybe we can promote changes.....certainly become a squeaky wheel !