Food poisoning sparks US beef recall

Ecoli is found in animals' intestines and faeces

An outbreak of food poisoning centred on Colorado has led the US authorities to order the recall of suspect hamburger meat in 21 states.

Giant US agri-business firm ConAgra Foods has agreed to the withdrawal of 8,000 tonnes of minced beef, a senior official at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said.

We're looking at every aspect of the plant

US Agriculture Secretary

At least 19 people, mostly in Colorado, have fallen ill from eating ConAgra beef contaminated with the E.coli bacteria, said USDA Undersecretary Elsa Murano.

"We expect to be recovering most of the product today," she said.

'Testing everything'

ConAgra is one of the US' big three meat processors.

Infection with the ecoli bacteria can prove fatal, particularly in old people and children. It can cause diarrhoea, vomiting and kidney damage.

The firm has declined to comment on the recall, Reuters news agency reported.

A spokesman for ConAgra said only that it had held talks about its plant in Greeley, Colorado, with the USDA over the last week.

However, US Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman said: "We're looking at every aspect of the plant."

"We've been testing everything since 11 July with no positive results," she added.

June scare

The decision to withdraw the meat from sale expands on ConAgra's recall of a much smaller quantity of hamburger meat from the same plant - 350,000 pounds - at the end of June.

The recall is the US' second biggest involving hamburger meat - which forms an iconic part of the North American diet.

In 1997, Hudson Beef withdrew 35 million pounds of hamburger meat from the market.

"We can confirm that we are in discussions with the USDA and we've been working closely with them over the past week, reviewing protocol with our plant in Greeley, Colorado, and reviewing our records," said ConAgra spokesman Jim Herlihy.

None of the 19 people who have become ill are currently in hospital, USDA officials said.

ConAgra's shares dropped 7% in the wake of the USDA's announcement, to trade at about $22.