Federal agency, Northwest Co., issue bad burger alerts

(Updated 3:45 p.m., March 18)

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and New Food Classics have warned the public not to eat frozen Best Value Beef Burgers, because the products may be contaminated with E. coli.

But on March 17 they expanded this warning, advising the public not to eat certain ground beef products made by New Foods Classic over the past ten months.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is also warning all retailers, distributors and restaurants not to sell, serve or use certain ground beef products made there because the products may be contaminated with E. coli.

All ground beef products are being voluntarily recalled that were manufactured between July 1, 2011 and February 15, 2012 that were manufactured at this facility, the agency said March 17.

The affected products can be identified by the establishment number that appears on the packages, cartons or cases. The products made at at the New Foods Classics plant bear an establishment number (EST) 761.

A March 14 warning, which started with a frozen beef patty recall on Feb. 18, was the fifth recall of frozen packaged beef burgers and steakettes from New Food Classics, which now includes ready-made hamburgers and steakettes under the brands “Country Morning,” “no name Club Pack,” “Grillhouse” and “Best Value.”

This past week, the New Food Classics plant in St. Catharines, Ont. closed its doors, as the company fell into receivership.

The Northwest Co., which sells Best Value Beef Burgers at Northern, Northmart and Giant Tiger West stories in Nunavut, northern Quebec, Labrador, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Northwest Territories, issued a warning of its own March 15.

The company said customers should not eat one- and two-kilogram packages of Best Value Beef Burgers that contain the following product codes: 72991, 82991, 53011, 63011, 73011, 83011.

And Northwest Co. has also taken all frozen Best Value Beef Burgers off its shelves, the company said, and has removed all other products made by the same manufacturer, New Food Classics.

There has been one reported illness associated with the product. The Northwest Co. said that illness was not associated with a product bought at one of their stores.

A warning issued last month cautioned people not to eat affected “Country Morning Beef Burgers” and “No Name Club Pack Beef Steakettes,” produced by the same company and also sold in Nunavut stores.

Food contaminated with E. coli may not look or smell spoiled.

But if you eat food contaminated with these bacteria, they may cause serious and potentially life-threatening illnesses.

Symptoms include severe abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea.

And some people may have seizures or strokes and some may need blood transfusions and kidney dialysis. Others may live with permanent kidney damage.

In severe cases of illness, people may die.

For more information, you can call one of the following numbers:

New Food Classics at 1-289-398-2009 during business hours, and at 1-647-627-8761 after hours.

CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday).