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Studies about Bisphenol-A (BPA), the plastic monomer used to make polycarbonate plastic, have been getting a ton of media attention lately, and our customers have had quite a few questions about it. While we certainly don’t have all the answers, we wanted to share with you what the research currently shows and what we, as a company, are doing to address the issue.

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Edmund LaMacchia is our Global Vice President of Procurement.

We know our customers put a great deal of trust in us and because of this recent beef recall; we feel we have let you down. But first I’d like to tell you that no one is more disappointed than I am. Our own trust in our beef supplier was misplaced in this instance.  We have worked for the last 28 years to establish second-to-none quality and safety standards. With our excellent track record of providing the very best beef products over the years, we have never had a confirmed case of Coli 0157:H7 in our meat departments.

As soon as we learned of the possibility that a small amount of ground beef from our stores in two states could be related to nine people who became sick, we reacted quickly. While we searched for any direct link between the illnesses and meat from our stores - all tests of our beef have so far come back negative for E. coli - we determined it was important for the health of our customers to issue a voluntary recall of ground beef from multiple states that was purchased between June 2 and August 6, 2008.

So, how did this happen?  Read the rest of this entry »

Edited from an August 8, 2008 Press Release

In response to state and federal investigations into an E. coli outbreak, we’ve announced a voluntary multi-state recall of fresh ground beef sold between June 2 and August 6, 2008 because of a concern that it may be contaminated with E. coli 0157:H7 bacteria.

We’ve been informed that the beef in question apparently came from Coleman Natural Beef whose Nebraska Beef processing plant was previously subject to a nationwide recall for E. coli 0157:H7 contamination. At the time of the previous recall, we received assurances from Coleman Natural Beef that no product delivered to our stores was linked to the recall. Those assurances are now in question and we are actively investigating the issue. At this time, no Coleman Natural Beef fresh ground beef products from the Nebraska Beef processing facility are available in any Whole Foods Market stores.

“While Coleman Natural Beef is a relatively small supplier for Whole Foods Market, we are extremely disappointed that we must now question Coleman’s assurances,” said Edmund Lamacchia, global vice president of procurement. Neither Coleman Natural Beef nor Nebraska Beef are owned or operated by Whole Foods Market.

At this time, although the illnesses allegedly linked to Whole Foods Market are in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, we chose to broaden our voluntary recall to the following states out of an abundance of caution: Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, Massachusetts, Florida, New Jersey, New York, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington D. C., Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Canada.

The recalls come as a result of investigations into confirmed cases of E. coli 0157:H7 contamination in Virginia, Ohio, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. The investigations include supermarkets Dorothy Lane and Kroger, as well as beef suppliers and processors such as Coleman Natural Beef and Nebraska Beef, and are still ongoing as state and federal agencies work to determine the source of the outbreak. As a precaution, on August 6th, we voluntarily pulled shipments of beef from Coleman from our stores nationwide. No beef associated with the recall is currently on any of our meat counter shelves. Customers can continue to shop our meat departments with confidence.

We are asking customers who may have ground beef purchased between June 2nd and August 6th (check your freezer) to dispose of the product and return to the store with the packaging or receipt for a full refund.

“At Whole Foods Market, one of our top priorities is consumer safety, and we go to great lengths to ensure the safety and quality of our meats,” said Lamacchia. “We are currently cooperating with the USDA, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Montgomery County Health Department in Pennsylvania as part of a routine multi-state investigation into these confirmed cases of E. coli 0157:H7 infection.”

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health issued warnings about the targeted beef. We will continue to work with state and federal authorities as this investigation progresses, and look forward to providing our customers with the high quality products that they have come to expect.

Break out the pico de gallo and chips! The FDA is advising consumers that raw jalapeño and Serrano peppers grown in the United States ARE NOT connected with the current Salmonella St. Paul outbreak and consumers can eat them without concern of contamination. So we are back in business offering ONLY U.S. grown jalapeño and Serrano peppers. In our prepared foods, we are using U.S. raw jalapeño and Serrano peppers or canned, pickled or cooked varieties, which have been okay all along – only raw peppers were of concern. We remain in contact with our producers and are studying all government updates to stay on top of this issue.
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