Food Poisoning May Be Linked to Tainted Beef

An outbreak of food poisoning in Los Angeles last month may be linked to a roast beef product that was recently recalled by federal authorities, the county health department reported Monday.

There were 14 reported cases of the illness associated with a strain of bacteria called Salmonella newport, the same type found in a pre-cooked roast beef product produced by Russak’s Cured & Smoked Products, said Shirley Fannin, the county’s deputy director of communicable disease control. In an average year, there are only about 20 cases of salmonella poisoning in the county, she noted.

“Laboratory tests suggests that there is a link between the two,” Fannin said.

Two of the victims said they had consumed commercially prepared beef products shortly before their illness, she added. The victims, who had such symptoms as fever, nausea and diarrhea, recovered in two or three days. She said laboratory evidence has been sent to the federal Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta for further investigation.

Allen Russak, vice president of Los Angles-based Russak’s, responded that “it is ridiculous to try and dovetail the company’s product to the scattered incidence.”

He added that the company had recalled all the beef, estimated by the federal government to amount to 100,000 pounds. The roast beef was sold only to commercial outlets such as delicatessens, not to grocery stores. The recalled beef will be recooked at a high temperature and retested, Russak said.

Russak’s was one of 14 Southern California meat companies cited in a recent internal review by federal inspectors for “serious control problems” in their plants.

Fannin said that less than 10% of all food poisonings are reported to the county because most people believe they have stomach flu and don’t bother seeking medical help. However, she said, infants and other high-risk groups, such as the elderly or the chronically ill, could suffer life-threatening problems from such bacteria.

“This just pinpoints the importance of a good meat inspection program,” she said, alluding to recent reported problems within the federal Food Safety and Inspection Service. “Commercial food sources have the capability of causing illness in thousands of individuals if contaminated products reach the marketplace.”

A special federal review conducted in January and February concluded that the meat inspection program here is “below the national norm.” The federal report cited wide variations in sanitation standards throughout the area and questioned the quality of supervision and training.