TOPPS MEAT FILES CHAPTER 7 LIQUIDATION BANKRUPTCY

From USA Today:

Topps Meat, which issued the nation's second-largest beef recall ever, has filed papers to liquidate the company.

Topps was one of the largest makers of frozen hamburgers before potentially fatal bacteria were found in its patties, compelling it to halt production and issue the recall on Sept. 29.

Six days later Topps said it was closing its business, after it was forced to issue the recall of 21.7 million pounds of frozen hamburger, which is one year's worth of production.

In September, the USDA said three people were confirmed as getting E. coli from Topps products, with 22 other cases under investigation. Cases were found in Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Topps has up to 10,000 creditors and liabilities of $1 million to $100 million, according to its Chapter 7 filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Newark. The company put its assets in the same range.

Topps recalled a year's worth of production — 21.7 million pounds of frozen hamburgers — after some meat was found contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, a potentially fatal bacteria. To date, 40 people in eight states have been sickened after eating Topps beef, the Centers for Disease Control said.

In late October, the USDA said a now-defunct Canadian firm, Rancher's Beef of Balzac, Alberta, was the likely source of bacteria-contaminated meat used by Topps.

The recall prompted the USDA to announce changes in how it will inspect meat plants. After being criticized for foot-dragging, the USDA also said it would move faster to encourage recalls. The agency cannot issue recalls.

Topps burgers contained at least three versions of the O157:H7 strain of E. coli bacteria, which can be fatal to humans. The strain is harbored in the intestines of cattle and can also get on their hides. Improper butchering and processing can cause the E. coli to get onto meat. Thorough cooking, to at least 160 degrees internal temperature, can destroy the bacteria.