AP
This Thursday
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Before a recall had been issued for ground beef from Higa Foodservice due to concerns about possible E. coli contamination, two elementary schools on Oahu had served students the suspect meat.
Lunalilo Elementary School in McCully and Kipapa Elementary School in Mililani used the ground beef in school lunches before the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service recall was announced Monday afternoon.
There were no reports of any illnesses, according to Sandra Goya, spokeswoman for the Department of Education, and Peter Oshiro, environmental health program manager for the Department of Health’s Sanitation, Food, Drug and Vector Control Branch.
Ground beef at Higa Foodservice tested positive for E. coli on Wednesday. The company delivered the products to 25 customers on Oahu, including fast-food restaurants, before they received the test results. About 4,100 pounds of ground beef were recalled.
Lunalilo Elementary used the meat when it served hamburger stew Friday and spaghetti Monday. Principal Corinne Yogi could not be reached for comment. Kipapa Elementary used it in sloppy Joes on Friday. Principal Amy Kantrowitz could not be reached for comment. Goya said the remaining unused ground beef at both schools will be sent back to the distribution company for disposal.
Honowai Elementary and Lehua Elementary also received the product but had not used any of it, and will be returning their full orders to Higa.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service advises consumers to cook ground beef to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. The DOE’s School Food Services Branch requires ground beef to be cooked to a temperature of 165 degrees and the use of a food thermometer to measure the internal temperature of cooked ground beef products, according to Goya.