Kroger (KR) issues a beef recall following reports of E. coli

Posted Jun 26th 2008 3:50PM by Michael Fowlkes
Filed under: Bad News, Products and Services, Competitive Strategy, Kroger Co (KR)

If you are a Kroger (NYSE: KR) shopper and you think that you may have picked up some beef from the grocer recently, you may want to take a closer look at it, as reports of E. coli have prompted a recall from the grocery chain.

The recall involves beef products that were purchased between May 21 and June 8 in Michigan, and parts of the Ohio market. Kroger was forced to take this action following reports that there had been E. coli illnesses linked to beef sold in Kroger stores in the two locations.

So far, it looks as though there have been 19 reported cases in Michigan, and another 15 cases reported in the state of Ohio that can be linked back to the Kroger beef. The meat in question has been traced back to a Kroger store in Gahanna, a town in central Ohio. It does not look as though any stores in Michigan have definitely been linked to the tainted meat, but since there are reported cases of the disease in the area, you should definitely return any beef that you purchased from Kroger during the time frame in question.

Of the 24 people who had been infected with the E. coli virus through Tuesday, 14 had to be hospitalized, while 1 reached the point of developing kidney failure.

Health officials warned that the best ways to avoid getting E. coli would be to make sure you cook your meat fully to 160 degrees and make sure you wash your hands thoroughly before and after each time you handle your meat.

Kroger is offering a full refund for any returned beef that was purchased between the May 21 and June 8 dates in the areas, stating that it is working with authorities to try to pin down the exact suppliers of the contaminated meats.

Michael Fowlkes has worked as a stock trader for seven years and spent the last four years working as an analyst for the online investment advisory service Investor's Observer.

Tags: bad news, BadNews, disease, inthenews, KR, Kroger, scandal