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NEWARK
– New Jersey Attorney General Anne
Milgram is advising state Attorneys General
throughout the country to increase inspections
of retail stores for recalled frozen hamburgers
because Division of Consumer Affairs and
Department of Health and Senior Services
investigators continue to find these products
for sale in New Jersey.
Division
of Consumer Affairs investigators, working
in conjunction with state, county and municipal
health inspectors, have found that Topps
Meat Company frozen hamburgers recalled
for potential E.coli contamination were
on sale in 12 retailers in northern and
southern New Jersey.
The
investigators have found that the retailers
purchased the products from Greater New
York Frozen Food Distribution Company Inc.,
of Queens, N.Y., Associated Group Grocers
of Jamaica, N.Y., Burris Foods Inc. of Milford,
Delaware, or Jetro Cash and Carry of Jersey
City, N.J.
“What
began with the discovery of recalled hamburgers
being for sale at a single store has escalated
into a statewide public health issue, and
potentially, a national issue as well,”
Attorney General Milgram said. “It
is unacceptable that consumers can walk
into a store and find these recalled contaminated
products on the shelf, readily available
for purchase and consumption, more than
one month after the voluntary recall was
announced.”
Attorney
General Milgram is advising state Attorneys
General that additional public notice and
outreach to retailers and consumers are
needed in light of the inspection results
in New Jersey.
The
state Division of Consumer Affairs and Department
of Health and Senior Services has created
a joint task force to conduct store inspections
and to keep the public informed.
Since the initial discovery of recalled
Topps products for sale at a Union City
store on October 24, ten additional stores
in North Jersey and one in South Jersey
were found to be selling these products.
Consumer
Affairs and Department of Health personnel
have found recalled products for sale at
the following locations:
- Gloucester
City Market
527-529 Monmouth Street, Gloucester City
- Arias
& Fernandez
278 Monroe Street, Passaic
- Sahill’s
Pantry
7000 Boulevard East, Guttenberg
- Reyes
Mini Market #1
1 Littleton Avenue, Newark
- San
Miguel Supermarket #5
180 12th Avenue, Newark
- Bargain
World (aka Stop 1 Food Mart)
715 New York Avenue, Union City
- Lucky
Food Center (aka Boca Chica Mini
Market)
6501 Park Avenue, West New York
- Wayne
Gusto Meat Market
190 Ocean Avenue, Jersey City
- Super
Good Luck Grocery
91 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Jersey
City
- 8
New Brothers Super World
61 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Jersey
City
- La
Mia Grocery
503A Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Jersey
City
- BergenLine
Supermarket
8107 Bergenline Avenue, North Bergen
A
total of 141 boxes of recalled products
were found for sale at the 12 stores.
The
Division of Consumer Affairs has issued
subpoenas to Burris Foods Inc., Jetro Cash
and Carry and Greater New York Frozen Food
Distribution Company Inc. seeking information
about the retailers that purchased Topps
products from them as well as their efforts
to inform their customers of the recall.
“Our
investigators are continuing to check stores
for these products in coordination with
health inspectors,” Acting Consumer
Affairs Director Larry DeMarzo said. “Although
the recall was announced in September, this
is not old news. Both retailers and consumers
must be vigilant and check their freezers
for these recalled items.”
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
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 products found since
October 24 all bear the Topps name.
The
complete list of recalled products can be
viewed on the Division of Consumer Affairs
web site, www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/press/topps4.htm
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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