The Cargill Meat Solutions company recalled more than one million pounds of ground beef Saturday because of possible E. coli contamination just five weeks after another huge beef recall by the Topps Meat Company for the same reason. The recall involves various weights and varieties of ground beef sold under such supermarket labels as Century Farm, Giant, Shop Rite, Stop & Shop, Wegman's and Weis. The recall also involves several meatloaf mixes of beef, pork and veal. Cargill has a full list of brands on its Web site.

Each package or label bears the establishment number EST 9400 inside the USDA mark of inspection. Because the use/freeze-by dates for the recalled products have expired, consumers are urged to look in their freezers for these products and, if found, discard them or return them to the place of purchase.

The ground beef products were produced at the company's Wyalusing, PA plant between Oct. 8 and 11 and were distributed to retailers in Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Cargill learned of the possibile contamination by E. coli after the U.S. Department of Agriculture returned a confirmed positive on a sample of meat produced Oct. 8. “No illnesses have been associated with this product,” said John Keating, president, Cargill Regional Beef. “We are working closely with the USDA to remove the product from the marketplace.”

Beginning in August, at least 27 people in eight states were sickened after reportedly eating meat produced by Topps Meat in New Jersey causing the company to recall 21.7 million pounds of beef and, soon after, to close its doors. That recall involved beef, mostly frozen hamburger patties, manufactured over the last year and bearing a “sell by” or “best used” date between Sept. 25, 2007 and Sept. 25, 2008 along with the USDA designation EST 9748.

E. coli O157:H7, the strain identified, is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration. The very young, seniors and persons with compromised immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness. Consumers with questions about the Cargill recall can contact the company’s food safety line at 877-455-1034.

As we emphasized earlier, such recalls have caused Consumers Union to reiterate its call for the creation of a single agency to ensure the safety of the nation's food supply. CU, the non-profit publisher of Consumer Reports, also calls for mandatory recall authority for both the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), power that is currently lacking.