Ministry acts against killer hamburger

RIYADH, 3 August — The Commerce Ministry has taken steps to stop the entry of an American manufactured hamburger contaminated with the killer E-coli bacteria, according to an informed source here.

The ministry is also investigating if any of it has found its way to the Kingdom following the US authorities’ withdrawal of hamburgers manufactured by the Conagra Foods, the third largest food manufacturing company in the US, from markets following fears of food poisoning. Officials of the American Agriculture Department said the company agreed to withdraw 8,000 tons of minced beef after it was confirmed that the killer bacteria contaminated the meat. The Kingdom’s Commerce Ministry ordered all the entry points to be alert and make thorough checking on all goods entering the country. It also urged all meat and hamburger importers to cooperate with the ministry and to inform it whenever they come across any products of suspicious quality.