NEWARK ? Division of Consumer Affairs investigators yesterday purchased recalled Topps frozen hamburgers in a Union City store and immediately issued a subpoena seeking information from the New York City-based distributor who sold the hamburgers to the store, Attorney General Anne Milgram and Acting Consumer Affairs Director Larry DeMarzo announced.

Topps Meat Company, located in Elizabeth, N.J., announced last month that 21.7 million pounds of ground beef products may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. In announcing the voluntary recall, the company said it believed the majority of these products had already been consumed.

The recalled products bear the Topps name and also other brand names including Butcher's Best, Kohler Foods, Mike's, Pathmark, Rastelli's Fine Foods, Roma-Topps, Sam's Choice, Sand Castle, ShopRite and West Side.

"The public's health is clearly endangered by having these recalled products available for purchase and consumption," Attorney General Anne Milgram said. "Our investigators were able to buy 19 boxes of recalled products clearly bearing the Topps name and on the recall list from a Union City store. We want to know what other stores may have purchased these products from the distributor and immediately inspect those stores."

Greater New York Frozen Food Distribution Company, Inc., of New York City has been identified as the distributor of the Topps products to the Union City store. Division of Consumer Affairs staff served a subpoena on the company's New Jersey registered agent last night.

The subpoena requires the distribution company to provide a list of retailers who purchased and/or received products covered under the Topps recall. The information must be provided to the Division of Consumer Affairs no later than October 29.

"Our inspection teams are continuing to randomly visit stores and look for the products covered by this recall. In light of yesterday's discovery of recalled products still being available for purchase, we are increasing our inspections," Acting Director DeMarzo said.

The recalled products were produced by Topps with a "sell by date" or "best if used by date" that falls between September 25, 2007 and September 25, 2008. This information may be found on the back panel of the package. All recalled products will have a USDA establishment number of EST 9748, which is located on the back panel of the package and/or in the USDA legend.

The complete list of recalled products can be viewed on the Division of Consumer Affairs web site, http://www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/press/topps4.htm Consumers are urged to check their freezers for these products.

Symptoms of E. coli O157:H7 exposure could include stomach cramps and diarrhea. Bloody diarrhea may develop. E. coli disease sometimes leads to a complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). If you exhibited any of these symptoms within 3 to 5 days of consuming any of the products specified above, seek medical attention immediately.

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