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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A New Hampshire resident reportedly died after consuming ground beef that may have been tainted by bacteria that can cause diarrhea, dehydration and kidney failure.
The death was connected to the recall of 545,699 lbs (248,450 kg) of ground beef products by Fairbank Farms, of Ashville, New York. The U.S. Agriculture Department said it became aware the meat might be tainted by E. coli O157:H7 bacteria during an investigation of a cluster of food-borne illnesses in New England.
A string of food-borne safety scares led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass legislation this summer to require more inspections and oversight of food manufacturers and would give the government new authority to order recalls.
New Hampshire health officials announced the death on Saturday but did not release information about the victim. Two other New Hampshire residents were sickened by E. coli, said the Boston Globe on its website.
Neither New Hampshire nor federal health officials were immediately available for comment.
USDA said it worked with health officials and "determined that there is an association between the fresh ground beef products subject to recall and illnesses in Connecticut, Maine and Massachusetts."
Fairbank Farms announced the recall on Saturday. The beef was produced in mid-September and probably was labeled for sale before the end of the month, said USDA. It went to retailers in eight states including Trader Joes, Price Chopper, Lancaster and Wild Harvest, Shaw's, BJ's, Ford Brothers and Giant.
A complete list of products is available by clicking:
http://link.reuters.com/vyx27f
The beef was produced September 14-16, and the company urged consumers to check their freezers for products listed in the recall.
(Reporting by Charles Abbott; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
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