Front-Line Employee's Role in Food Defense

Local illness/recall

In 2003, four families (18 members) complained to a supermarket in Michigan of becoming ill following the consumption of ground beef they had purchased. The supermarket recalled all ground beef sold over a three-day period. After the initial recall, 36 other customers reported illnesses associated with the ground beef. Eventually 120 customers returned the tainted product.

The Michigan Department of Agriculture's Food and Dairy Division and the U.S. Department of Agriculture were notified of the recall of approximately 1,700 pounds of ground beef. The contaminant in the ground beef was identified as nicotine from a nicotine-based pesticide that was applied to the beef at the supermarket. An employee of the supermarket was arrested and charged with deliberately adulterating the ground beef.

The impacts from this intentional adulteration event included illnesses and financial costs. Fortunately no deaths resulted from this incident, but nearly 90 people had illnesses consistent with the case definition. The supermarket incurred financial costs for the product recall. This was a local incident and affected the health of many people, including possibly employees (and their families) of the supermarket.

 

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