Food Safety and Inspection Service United States Department of Agriculture Washington, D.C. 20250-3700

News and Information

USDA DECLARES PRODUCT FROM BAUER MEAT COMPANY UNFIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION

       WASHINGTON, October 2, 1998 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) today determined that all ground meat produced by Bauer Meat Company and all processed products containing Bauer-produced ground meat are unfit for human consumption.

        About 4.4 million pounds of product containing ground pork or ground beef produced at Bauer Meat Company are already under voluntary hold at various school districts, prisons, military installations, and other facilities. There is an additional 1.6 million pounds of Bauer-produced product that is being retained or has been detained at other facilities. Bauer Meat Company, an Ocala, Fla. meat processing firm, is USDA Establishment Number 800.

        "We are taking this action to further protect American schoolchildren, those in military service, prisoners, and anyone else who might otherwise consume the product," said Mark Mina, FSIS Deputy Administrator for Inspection Operations.

        Under the Federal Meat Inspection Act, FSIS has the authority to detain, and take action against, any product that the agency has reason to believe is adulterated or misbranded, and unfit for human consumption.

        On the basis of information from an ongoing investigation by USDA's Office of Inspector General, Deputy Administrator Mina has reason to believe that Bauer-produced products, including ground beef and ground pork, are misbranded. He has further reason to believe that the products may contain chemical and/or microbial contaminants that render them adulterated and not fit for human consumption.

        Therefore, FSIS is ordering a mandatory hold on all Bauer Meat Company product. This includes all ground beef and ground pork products and all processed products that may contain as an ingredient ground beef or ground pork produced at Bauer Meat Company. All product under FSIS hold will be held and destroyed.

        FSIS believes that a small amount of Bauer-produced product may have been distributed commercially. Consumers should not eat this product. Anyone who identifies product that bears the USDA inspection mark and "Est. 800" should contact Leonard Uptain, FSIS District Enforcement in Washington, D.C., at (202) 418-8874.

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