NEBRASKA FIRM'S BEEF RECALL AFFECTS SOME KROGER STORES

CINCINNATI, OH, August 30, 2001 - The Kroger Co. today said it is cooperating with a voluntary recall of ground beef announced by IBP Inc., a wholesale meat supplier based in Dakota City, Nebraska.

IBP issued the recall as a precautionary measure after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) detected the presence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli) bacteria in a sample of beef processed by IBP.

Kroger has not received any complaints of illness related to the product.

In accordance with IBP's recall, Kroger is asking customers in Dayton, Defiance and Greater Cincinnati (including Boone, Campbell, Kenton and Mason counties in northern Kentucky); Indiana; Illinois; Missouri; and two stores in Coldwater and Sturgis, Michigan, to check their refrigerators and freezers for ground beef (packaged in foam trays and wrapped in plastic film) with sell-by dates of August 20, 2001, through August 25, 2001, that was purchased from Kroger stores in those states. The recall also includes Pay Less and Owen's stores in Indiana, and Hilander stores in Illinois. The recall covers ground beef, ground chuck, ground sirloin, ground round, and fresh ground beef patties. These products should be returned to the store for a full refund or replacement.

Customers who have questions about the recall may contact Kroger toll-free at (800) 632-6900.

IBP's recall serves as another reminder to consumers that proper handling, storage and cooking of ground beef offers the best protection against food-borne illness. According to the USDA, when ground beef is thoroughly cooked to an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees, the E. coli bacteria is destroyed and the ground beef is safe to consume.

Kroger has stringent quality control and food safety programs in place to ensure the quality and safety of the meat products sold at its stores. These programs include employee training in procedures designed to minimize or eliminate the risk of contamination at every step in the preparation and display of meat items.

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