Five children in Napa County became infected with E.coli after eating infected hamburgers at Little League baseball snack shacks. The patties were produced in April-May 2006, by Richwood Meat and are to be found in California, Arizona, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
The problem was discovered through sampling done by the California Department of Health Services in the course of an investigation.
An official of Richwood Meat, which receives raw, boneless meat from suppliers and turns it into hamburger patties and other products, said in published stories he does not know which slaughterhouse provided the meat.
A California public health officer said the products being recalled are hamburger patties and ground beef sold under the brands Fireriver, Chef's Pride, Ritz Food, Blackwood Farms, California Pacific Associates, C&C Distributing, Golbon and Richwood.
The children have all recovered from the illness, which causes abdominal cramps and diarrhea and can be deadly for young children, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.