Warning on beef as E. coli sickens 6

Federal inspectors are warning consumers to check the ground beef in freezers because six people in Washington have been sickened by ground beef contaminated with E. coli bacteria.

A federal consumer alert was issued Thursday after investigators tracked the illnesses, along with two others in Oregon, during late July and early August to a single strain of E. coli 0157: H7 bacteria in ground beef produced by Oregon-based Interstate Meats.

In Washington, one child and five adults from King, Island and Clallam counties were sickened. Two of them were hospitalized but have recovered.

The products subject to the alert, ordered by the U.S. Food Safety Inspection Service, were sold under the brand name, "Northwest Finest," and include:

• 16-ounce packages of "Northwest Finest 7% FAT, NATURAL GROUND BEEF." The label bears a UPC code of 752907 600127.

• 16-ounce packages of "Northwest Finest 10% FAT, Organic GROUND BEEF." No UPC code is available.

Each package also bore the establishment number "Est. 965" inside the U.S. Department of Agriculture mark of inspection, and had sell-by dates between Aug. 1 and Aug. 11.

The ground-beef products were produced between July 19 and 30 and were distributed in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. In Washington, it they were sold at Safeway, QFC and Fred Meyer stores and possibly other locations, the state Department of Health said.

Health authorities said they believe the contamination was contained to one batch of ground beef totaling 41,305 pounds.

E. coli O157 causes mild to severe intestinal illness and may cause serious kidney complications. Symptoms include diarrhea, which may contain blood; abdominal cramping; and vomiting.

So-called "natural" or "organic" products aren't any safer than others when it comes to bacteria such as E. coli, which lives in the gastrointestinal tracts of humans and animals, health officials explained.

Loran Hickton, a spokesman for Interstate Meats, said the beef in question had passed inspection and met all local and federal standards.

Carol M. Ostrom: 206-464-2249 or costrom@seattletimes.com