Theft Of Tainted Meat Prompts Warning

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- American Fresh Foods of Fort Worth, Texas, is warning consumers in Oklahoma and Texas to avoid possible parking lot or roadside sales of ground beef.  The company says someone stole a refrigerated truck containing nearly 15,000 pounds of meat possibly contaminated with E. coli bacteria.

The company's products are safe to buy in grocery stores, but officials are urging people not to buy the beef under "questionable circumstances."

American Fresh Foods is working with U.S. Department of Agriculture officials and other authorities to issue a public health alert and to find the stolen meat and truck.

-- All labels are printed with "EST. 13116" inside the USDA mark of inspection.

-- Labels for the 1- to 2-pound packages also list the company name below the nutrition information.

-- Labels for the bulk packages, weighing between 40 and 370 pounds, also list a date of "12-19-07" with the production information filled in by hand.

The American Fresh Foods consumer hotline number is: 1-800-724-1136.