Recipe: Mac 'N' Beef

Originally published in the June 25, 2014, issue

 

Editor’s Note: Who needs Hamburger Helper when you’ve got the Market Bulletin? Here’s an easy dinner that only takes minutes to prepare and serves up to five. It’s a quick, kid-friendly way to celebrate Georgia Beef Month, and you can extend the celebration by doubling the recipe and freezing half for a later meal!

Ingredients:

½ box elbow macaroni

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup bell pepper, chopped

1 cup onion, chopped

1 tablespoon garlic, chopped

1 pound ground beef

2 cups canned, crushed tomatoes

1 teaspoon each dried basil and oregano

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

 

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

2. Cook macaroni according to package directions.

 

3. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven. Sauté bell pepper, onion and garlic. Add ground beef and cook until brown. Drain if desired. 

 

4. Add tomatoes, spices, salt and pepper.

 

5. Place in a casserole dish and top with cheese. Bake until cheese melts.



Recall Roundup: Nov. 21 through 28

Editor's Note: Food recalls related to a foodborne pathogen will be featured on individual blog posts. Food recalls related to food allergens, mislabeling or other causes will be rounded up, when applicable, in a Recall Roundup blog post. For up-to-the-minute information on food recalls, follow @GaMktBulletin and @GDAFoodSafety on Twitter, and visit the Georgia Department of Agriculture's food recall website.

Recalls were issued on select lots of the following products:



Kozy Shack Enterprises, LLC: Four-ounce cups of Kozy Shack Simply Well Chocolate Pudding with lot number 31637681 and use by date of Dec. 31, 2014.
Recalled Nov. 21, undeclared milk allergens. Read more ...




Ranchers Legacy Meat Co.: Ranchers Legacy Ground Beef Patties 77/23; Ranchers Legacy Ground Chuck Patties 80/20; Ranchers Legacy USDA Choice Ground Beef 80/20; Ranchers Legacy USDA Choice WD Beef Patties 80/20; Ranchers Legacy RD Beef Patties 80/20; OTG Manufacturing Chuck/Brisket RD Patties; Ranchers Legacy Chuck Blend Oval Beef Patties; Ranchers Legacy WD Chuck Blend Patties; Ranchers Legacy USDA Choice NAT Beef Patties 80/20; Ranchers Legacy NAT Beef Patties 80/20; Ranches Legacy Ground Chuck Blend; Ranchers Legacy Chuck Blend Bulk Pack NAT Patties; Ranchers Legacy Chuck Blend NAT Beef Patties; all with use by date of Dec. 10, 2014.
Recalled Nov. 22, potential E. coli contamination. Read more ...


Natura Pet Products: 15.4-pound EVO Grain Free Turkey & Chicken Formula dry cat & kitten food with best by date Feb. 19, 2016; 2.2-pound EVO Grain Free Turkey & Chicken Formula dry cat & kitten food with best by date Feb. 20, 2016; 6.6-pound EVO Grain Free Ferret Food with best by date Feb. 19, 2016.
Recalled Nov. 24, insufficient vitamins and excess mineral content. Read more ...

Recall: Company Stops Sale of Ground Beef for Potential Contamination

Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary W. Black is alerting Georgians to the recall of ground beef products processed by Ranchers Legacy Meat Co. of Vadnais Heights, Minn.

Routine inspections by the Food Safety Inspection Service demonstrated products could be contaminated with Escherichia coli O157:H7. E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause dehydration, bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps two to eight days after exposure. Though most people recover within a week, some develop a type of kidney failure known as hemolytic uremic syndrome. It is most common in children under 5 and older adults. The kidney failure is marked by easy bruising, pallor and decreased urine output.

The products that tested positive were held at the facility. The affected products listed below were produced on the same day and using the same equipment as the positive-testing products:

• Ranchers Legacy Ground Beef Patties 77/23
• Ranchers Legacy Ground Chuck Patties 80/20
• Ranchers Legacy USDA Choice Ground Beef 80/20
• Ranchers Legacy USDA Choice WD Beef Patties 80/20
• Ranchers Legacy RD Beef Patties 80/20
• OTG Manufacturing Chuck/Brisket RD Patties
• Ranchers Legacy Chuck Blend Oval Beef Patties
• Ranchers Legacy WD Chuck Blend Patties
• Ranchers Legacy USDA Choice NAT Beef Patties 80/20
• Ranchers Legacy NAT Beef Patties 80/20
• Ranchers Legacy Ground Chuck Blend
• Ranchers Legacy Chuck Blend Bulk Pack NAT Patties
• Ranchers Legacy Chuck Blend NAT Beef Patties

No illnesses have been reported to date.

Georgia Department of Agriculture inspectors will be checking to make sure the recalled products are removed from sale. Consumers are asked to ensure that ground beef is properly cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit, and to dispose of the recalled products.

Questions about this recall?
Consumers  who purchased this product can contact Jeremy Turnquist, vice president of operations for Ranchers Legacy Meat Co., at 651-366-6575.

To view a comprehensive list of food and feed recalls affecting Georgia, visit our Food Safety Division recall website. If this recall expands or additional details become available in the future, the website will provide the most up-to-date information. 

Consumer Q&A: Celebrating Beef Month

Q: Can I place beef and poultry together on the grill for cooking?

A: Yes, but don’t expect different items to be done at the same time. Use a food thermometer to be sure all of the food has reached a high enough temperature to destroy foodborne bacteria. All poultry should reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, as measured with a food thermometer. For whole poultry, check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. Beef, veal and lamb steaks, roasts and chops can be cooked to 145 degrees Fahrenheit with a three-minute rest time. Hamburgers made of ground beef should reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

Never partially grill meat or poultry and finish cooking later. And, of course, don't use the same platter and utensils for raw meat as you do for cooked meats. Harmful bacteria present in raw meat and its juices can contaminate safely cooked food.

Q: Can I freeze leftover cooked hamburger patties?

A: If ground beef is put in the freezer promptly after cooking (within two hours; one hour if the air temperature is above 90 degrees Fahrenheit), it can be safely frozen and should keep its quality for about four months. When reheating fully cooked patties or casseroles containing ground beef, be sure the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit, or it is hot and steaming. Refrigerated patties can be safely refrigerated for about three or four days provided they are also refrigerated promptly after cooking.

Q: What is "grass-fed" beef?

A: "Grass (forage) fed" means that grass and forage shall be the feed source consumed for the lifetime of the cow, with the exception of milk consumed prior to weaning. Its diet shall be derived solely from forage consisting of annual or perennial grasses, forbs such as legumes and brassicas, browse (vegetation such as twigs and young shoots) or cereal grain crops in the vegetative (pre-grain) state. The cows cannot be fed grain or grain by-products and must have continuous access to pasture during the growing season.

 

Got a question? Visit our website, write to us at 19 MLK Jr. Drive, Room 128, Atlanta, GA 30334, or email arty.schronce@agr.georgia.gov. 

Notice: Marketing Order for Beef

As directed by law, the Department conducted a referendum to ascertain the desires of Georgia beef producers. This referendum, which ended on April 15, 2014, resulted in both more than the required number of ballots returned and more than the required number of producers voting in favor of approving the Marketing Order for Beef. In order for this marketing order to be approved for a period of three years, by law, 25 percent of ballots issued is required to be returned and 66.67 percent approval is required from the ballots received. Therefore, the Marketing Order for Beef will go into effect on July 1, 2014.

Please see the Marketing Order for Beef synopsis below:

• 1. Define necessary terminology;
• 2. Establish beef as the affected product for the Order;
• 3. Establish the entire state of Georgia as the affected area of production;
• 4. Explain that the scope of operation includes research, promotion and education;
• 5. Explain the extent of operations;
• 6. Set the term of operation for a three year period;
• 7. Direct that the method of approval be by referendum of affected producers;
• 8. Set a 30-day time period for approval by referendum;
• 9. Clarify that the Order would apply to all producers of bovine animals within this state;
• 10. Set an assessment and levy of $1 per head on bovine animals sold for $100 or more effective July 1, 2014, and explain other methods of finance;
• 11. Explain the methods for collection of the assessment and levy which shall be collected from all affected producers;
• 12. Explain that the commissioner of agriculture shall administer and enforce the Order;
• 13. Authorize the commission to expend funds;
• 14. Authorize the commission to enter into contracts; and
• 15. Require all affected persons to keep records and make the same available for inspection by the commissioner.

Further directions for implementation of this marketing order and assessment procedures will be determined at the next board meeting of the Georgia Agricultural Commodity Commission for Beef.

Guest Column: State Beef Referendum Coming in 2014

Originally published in the Dec. 11, 2013, issue

 

CALLAWAY

Now is the time for all cattle producers in Georgia to make your voice heard! You have until Dec. 31 to request a ballot to vote in the beef referendum that will be held in early 2014. In case you are unaware of what is happening with regards to the referendum, I would like to give you a brief summary of how this all came about.

The Georgia Farm Bureau Beef Commodity Committee was meeting in August 2011. During the meeting the need for more dollars for valuable research and product promotion was discussed.  After much conversation it was suggested that a study committee of stakeholders be formed to look at a producer investment program. The idea was put into official policy and passed by the general membership at the annual meeting at Jekyll Island.

Fast forward about four months and a similar policy was passed by Georgia Cattlemen’sAssociation at their annual meeting at the Beef Expo in Perry during April 2012. It was just a matter of time before the Georgia Milk Producers and the Georgia Livestock Marketing Association came on board also. Three people from each organization were appointed to a 12-member study committee. 

The study committee met through the summer and fall at various locations throughout the state. In the end it was unanimous among the committee that a referendum be held and let the producers decide if they wanted a state beef checkoff.

This checkoff should not be confused with the National Beef Checkoff that has been law since 1986. The national Checkoff of $1 per head can be spent only for promotion, research or education. Fifty cents of every dollar collected is administered by the Cattlemen’s Beef Board at the national level. The other 50 cents of every dollar is returned to the state where it is collected and here in Georgia is administered by the Georgia Beef Board. Both the state and national boards are comprised of beef farmers, ranchers, dairymen and livestock market operators.

Meetings were held with the commissioner of agriculture and other key members of the Department of Agriculture. They were supportive and offered their help in any way. After much work by all involved, Senate Bill 97 was introduced in the 2013 legislative session of the General Assembly. The bill, passed and signed into law by the governor, called for a referendum to be held with all Georgia cattle producers eligible to vote their wishes as to whether or not to fund the Georgia Agricultural Commodity Commission for Beef. Anyone in Georgia who owned cattle in the last 12 months is eligible to vote. Ballots will be mailed sometime after the first of the year.

If passed, the Agriculture Commodity Commission for Beef would be run by cattlemen. This five-member producer board would determine how the funds would be spent. The commission must also be reaffirmed every three years by a vote of all cattle producers in the state.

The original legislation that created the foundation for commodity commissions in Georgia was passed in 1961. There are 12 other such commodity commissions in our state, all of which are administered by the Department for a nominal fee of less than 5 percent of the dollars collected. 

If the state beef checkoff assessment of up to $1 per head passes, it could in essence triple the amount of money that could be spent in our state to support the beef industry with funds for promotion or advertising, vital research or education of our consumers and health professionals about the value of beef in a healthy diet. 

With a 10 million-plus population, we only generate three cents per Georgian through the national Checkoff. According to a study at the University of Florida, researchers found that for every $1 invested in the national Checkoff, cattlemen receive a $5.50 return. I don’t know of anything else that even comes close to that.

Cattleman John Callaway is the chairman of the Georgia Cattle Industry Investment Study Group and Georgia Farm Bureau’s Beef Commodity Board. To register for the Agricultural Commodity Commission for Beef referendum ballot, visit www.agr.georgia.gov or write to the Department at: Georgia Department of Agriculture, Marketing Division, Room 324, 19 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Southwest, Atlanta, GA 30334. Written requests for ballots should include your name, phone number and the phrase “I request a ballot for the ACC Beef referendum.”

RECALL: National Beef Packing Co. Recalls Ground Beef

Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary W. Black is alerting Georgians to the recall of select varieties of ground beef produced by National Beef Packing Company. National Beef Packing Co., out of Liberal, Kan., announced the recall of 50,100 pounds of ground beef on July 31.

The following 10-pound chubs of ground beef are subject to recall:

• National Beef 93/7 fine ground beef, product code 0707
• NatureSource 80/20 fine ground chuck, product code 7031
• NatureSource 85/15 fine ground beef, product code 7054
• NatureSource 90/10 fine ground beef, product code 7344
• NatureSource 93/7 fine ground beef, product code 7004
• NatureWell 80/20 fine ground chuck, product code 7484
• NatureWell 85/15 fine ground beef, product code 7454
• NatureWell 90/10 fine ground sirloin, product code 7577
• NatureWell 93/7 fine ground beef, product code 7404

All of these products bear the establishment number "EST. 208A" inside the US Department of Agriculture mark of inspection. The ground beef was produced on July 18 and shipped to retailers, wholesalers and food service distributors nationwide.

Routine Food Safety Inspection Service monitoring discovered and confirmed a positive result for E. coli O157:H7. This strain of E. coli is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration and in the most severe cases, kidney failure. Children, seniors and those with weak immune systems are most susceptible to foodborne illnesses.

An investigation revealed National Beef Packing Co. was the sole supplier of the source materials used to produce the positive product. FSIS and the company have received no reports of illnesses associated with the consumption of these products. Consumers concerned about an illness should contact their healthcare provider.

FSIS advises all consumers to safely prepare fresh and frozen raw meat products. Ground beef should be cooked to a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit before consumption. The only way to confirm that ground beef is cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria is to use a food thermometer that measures internal temperature.

Georgia Department of Agriculture inspectors will be checking retail stores and food warehouses to make sure the recalled product is removed from sale.

Questions about this recall?
Consumers who purchased the recalled beef can call 1-866-761-9472 or visit the company's website for the link to details about the recall and its return and reimbursement policy. Consumers with food safety questions can contact Ask Karen, the virtual FSIS representative available 24 hours a day, online or via smartphone. Live Ask Karen chat services are available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline is 1-888-MPHotline and is available in English and Spanish between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

To view a comprehensive list of food and feed recalls affecting Georgia, visit our Food Safety Division recall website. If this recall expands or additional details become available in the future, the website will provide the most up-to-date information.