Palama Meat Company Recalls Beef

HONOLULU -- The Palama Meat Co. announced Thursday that it is recalling specific ground beef products processed at its Kapolei plant between April 9-21 that utilized one particular batch of raw material purchased from an outside vendor.

The specific products are being recalled as a precaution because E. coli was detected in some of the remaining unused raw material; however, none of the products being recalled has tested positive for E. coli, the company said.

No illnesses have been reported. The company identified the issue through company testing and alerted the United States Department of Agriculture.

About 4,500 cases of ground beef-related products were affected. Other products processed by Palama were not involved in this recall.

The company said it has already recovered 40 percent of the product affected by this recall.

Consumers in Hawaii who possess any of the attached products are asked by the company to return the product to the point of purchase, where they may also obtain a refund.

Grocers and distributors were advised by the company to withdraw the product from sale and to hold it for pickup by the company.

This is the first public recall of meat in the 55-year history of Palama Meat Co., the state's largest meat processor. The company has processed more than 80 million pounds of product in the last 10 years alone.

Products Recalled:

• Six-10 pound boxes containing 1/4-pound and 1/3-pound "May's Teriyaki Beef Patties" with product codes 157400, 157600 or 157700 produced between April 9-18 and April 21.
• Twenty-four pound bulk boxes of "May's Beef Picnic Patties" with product code 158700 produced on April 11 or April 8.
• Ten pound boxes of "May's Beef Pattie, 3:1 Layer Pack" with product code 158325 produced on April 10 or April 17.
• Three pound trays of "May's Ground Beef Family Pack" with product code 410751 produced on April 16.
• Five-10 pound chubs of May's brand coarse ground and fine ground beef products with product codes 141115, 141120, 143915, 141420, 144150, 144155, 144200, 144205, 144209, 145410, 145420, 151115, 151415, 151430 or 153220 produced on April 9, between April 15-18 or Apr 21.