Hannaford Supermarkets has stopped selling packages of ground beef made from multiple sources after discovering that the practice would hinder efforts by state and federal officials to trace the source of the Salmonella outbreak linked to ground beef sold at its stores.
At leas 19 people in seven states have been sickened by a rare strain of antibiotic-resistant Salmonella typhimurium, according to the latest update by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The states included in the outbreak are Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, Kentucky and Hawaii. At least 12 of those sickened reported buying ground beef from Hannaford stores between Oct. 12 and Dec. 10.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which is investigating the source of the contamination, has said Hannaford’s inadequate records and grinding practices have muddled traceback efforts.
Hannaford, which operates 179 stores in the Northeastern part of the country, has said its records and grinding practices comply with federal standards, but that going forward it will only sell packages of ground beef from single sources.
