19 illnesses tied to tainted Hannaford ground beef

PHOTOGRAPHER: The Associated Press

A total of 19 people from seven states have become sick from salmonella linked to ground beef sold by Hannaford supermarkets.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said today most of the victims indicated they bought the beef between Oct. 12 and Dec. 10.

The Scarborough, Maine-based Hannaford supermarket chain announced Dec. 15 that it was recalling ground beef with a sell-by date of Dec. 17 or earlier.

The CDC says the recalled beef may still be in consumers’ homes. The company says customers should return or dispose of ground beef with the Dec. 17 or earlier sell-by dates.

Hannaford has stores in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont. So far, 19 people in those states and Kentucky and Hawaii have become sick.