Company recalls ground beef

ATLANTA - Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Tommy Irvin is advising Georgians to check their freezers for a brand of frozen ground beef patties that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, a potentially deadly species of bacteria that can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration. Children, the elderly, and persons with compromised immune systems are the most susceptible.

Quaker Maid Meats, Inc., Reading, Pennsylvania, is voluntarily recalling 94,400 pounds of patties. The products being recalled are:

Three-pound boxes of "PHILLY-GOURMET, 100% PURE BEEF, HOMESTYLE PATTIES" with the packaging code of "2005A," "2005B," "2005C" or "2005D."

Five-pound boxes of "PHILLY-GOURMET, 100% PURE BEEF, HOMESTYLE PATTIES" with the packaging code of "2005A," "2005B," "2005C" or "2005D."

The products also bear the establishment code "Est. 2748" inside the USDA mark of inspection. They were produced July 19, 2005. The patties were distributed in Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and Wisconsin.

"Georgia Department of Agriculture inspectors will be checking grocery stores and food warehouses to make sure these products are removed from sale," said Commissioner Irvin.