Lawyer: USDA waited 18 days before seeking hamburger recall

[Lone_Star_Dem]

Source: Associated Press

NEWARK, N.J. — An e-mail from a federal inspector confirms the U.S. Department of Agriculture knew that millions of frozen hamburger patties could be contaminated with E. coli in early September but waited 18 days before concluding Topps Meat Co. should issue a recall, a lawyer for a teen sickened by the beef said today.

The recall came Sept. 25, and was soon expanded to comprise 21.7 million pounds of hamburger produced by Elizabeth-based Topps, the second-largest beef recall in U.S. history.

The Florida teen was hospitalized with kidney failure in August and the meat her family bought was tested by the USDA.

The tests confirmed on Sept. 7 that the Topps patties had the E coli bacteria strain O157:H7, according to an e-mail from Kis Robertson, an employee of the USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/chronicle/5187859.html

[aquart]

1. And their excuse would be............?

Because it sure ain't saving Topps any money.

[Robbien]

2. They are getting a bit faster. Didn't the pet food take months

before they began a recall?

I see the Chambers of Commerce are trying to lobby Congress to get the Feds to downplay food contaminations.

[Trillo]

3. Just a guess....

18 days allows much of the tainted product to be unknowingly consumed, reducing the resulting costs to the company so ordered. They can't give money back on product already consumed.

[Frances]

4. A trial lawyer brought this fact to the public's attention

No wonder the Repubs (the party of the corporations) are so against trial lawyers.

[hatrack]

5. Well, at least we know where all those ex-FEMA types ended up

Either there or doing the investigation of Princess Diana ten years after the fact.