Topps Meat Company
| Industry | Meat processing |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1940 in Manhattan, New York |
| Founder | Benjamin Sachs |
| Defunct | October 5, 2007 |
| Fate | Operations terminated following Escherichia coli O157:H7 contamination incident |
| Headquarters | Elizabeth, New Jersey |
| Parent | Strategic Investment and Holdings (2003-2007) |
| Website | toppsmeat.com at the WayBack Machine (archived August 16, 2006) |
Topps Meat Company, LLC was a privately held enterprise specializing in meat processing, with its headquarters situated in Elizabeth, New Jersey. The firm focused on producing frozen ground beef patties alongside various other meat products processed within its facility. According to data from Dun & Bradstreet, the company’s annual revenue was estimated at around $8.8 million.
Established by Benjamin Sachs in 1940, Topps operated under the ownership of Strategic Investment and Holdings from 2003 until it ceased operations. In 2007, the company encountered a major crisis when its products were implicated in an outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infections. This public health emergency resulted in a large-scale recall and ultimately led to the company shutting down on October 5, 2007.
History
Benjamin Sachs founded the Topps Meat Company in Manhattan, New York, in 1940. Ownership later passed to his son, Steven Sachs. Prior to relocating the company’s operations to New Jersey, Joseph D’Urso assumed the role of vice president.
Following D’Urso’s passing, Strategic Investment and Holdings—a Buffalo-based investment firm—acquired Topps in 2003.
Before the 2007 E. coli O157:H7 crisis, a USDA inspection conducted in 2005 revealed that Topps had processed contaminated meat prior to receiving notification. That same year, the company resolved a $1.7 million lawsuit filed by a maintenance worker injured by equipment and also faced legal action from a child claiming illness linked to its hamburger products.
Escherichia coli O157:H7 outbreak and closure
The initial case tied to E. coli O157:H7 contamination emerged on July 5, 2007. Although positive contamination tests were identified on September 7, the USDA postponed recall directives for 18 days, which drew considerable criticism.
In September 2007, Topps initiated a recall of 21.7 million pounds of frozen ground beef amid contamination concerns. Laboratory testing confirmed the presence of E. coli in product samples.
On October 4, 2007, a class-action lawsuit was filed against Topps regarding the tainted meat products. Concurrently, the USDA issued a "notice of intended enforcement" citing insufficient process controls within non-ground beef production areas. The following day, Topps terminated its operations, laying off 77 employees while retaining approximately ten staff members to aid ongoing investigations.
The outbreak affected 40 individuals across eight states. At that time, Topps’ recall ranked as the second-largest beef recall in U.S. history, following Hudson Foods’ 1997 recall involving 25 million pounds.
This incident severely damaged Topps Meat Company’s financial health and market standing, culminating in the cessation and dissolution of its business activities.
See also
External links
- Defunct agriculture companies of the United States
- Companies based in Union County, New Jersey
- Food manufacturers of the United States
- American companies established in 1940
- Food recalls
- Companies disestablished in 2007
- Defunct manufacturing companies based in New Jersey
- History of Elizabeth, New Jersey
- Meat companies of the United States
- Food and drink companies established in 1940
- Companies of the United States by year of establishment