OMAHA, Neb. - Officials say five cases of E- coli infection in Minnesota and Wisconsin have been linked to frozen ground sirloin patties sold by Sam's Club and manufactured at a Nebraska plant.<br>
<br>
Officials said four Minnesota residents and one Wisconsin resident became ill in July after eating sirloin patties purchased at Sam's Club stores in White Bear Lake, Eagan and Waukesha, Wisconsin.<br>
<br>
The plant in Columbus is run by the Oklahoma City-based Carneco Holding Incorporated.<br>
<br>
Officials are advising people not to eat frozen sirloin patties sold under the label ``Northern Plains'' with the lot number 1-7-3-0-4-C-A-R-2 with a ``Best Used By'' date of December 18tj, 2004.<br>
<br>
Officials said the implicated meat is being pulled from all Sam's Club stores. They also said it's possible the sirloin patties may have been sold by other retailers.<br>
<br>
John Schaller, vice president of operations for Carneco, said Sam's Club notified his company about the illnesses on August second. The recall involves 497-thousand pounds of meat distributed to Sam's Club stores in ten states including: Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Utah and Wisconsin.<br>
<br>
Consumers can return the implicated meat to their local Sam's Club and receive a refund.<br>
