I think it's been a while since we had a beef recall. And by "a while" I mean about a week.

JSM Meat Holdings and the USDA have issued a recall for meat that was distributed to 11 states. The beef was distributed in 30 pound, 60 pound, and 47 gallon containers (the beef was used in ground products). The containers are labeled with the words "Morreale Meat" and the number "EST 6872." They could possibly be contaminated with e.coli.

The states affected are Pennsylvania, Florida, Massachusetts, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Georgia, Nebraska, and Wisconsin.

Between beef recalls and threats of mad cow disease, the simple action of eating is quickly becoming less of a pleasurable activity and more of a chore, or, in some cases, a big wager.

Think you know your salmonella from your E.Coli? Feeling bored? Test your smarts with National Geographic's food safety quiz. Yes, I know, online quizzes are pretty nerdy, but this one actually provides you with decent information. After you answer each question, the site gives you a brief synopsis of the topic, so you can bulk up on your food safety knowledge for your next dinner party.

Or, even better: when the weather gets warmer and you attend a picnic, turn to your friend as she takes her first bite of chicken salad and bust out with, "Did you know that food borne illnesses are more common in warmer weather?" and watch her spit out her food and glare at you. If nothing else, your new found knowledge will provide you with hours of entertainment.

And when you're finished with that quiz, you can get to know your inner organic foodie. Because, seriously, we know you have nothing better to do.

We told you recently (last week, maybe two weeks ago, all of these food recalls are becoming a blur) about a big beef recall in Canada involving Rancher's Beef. Now it looks like the beef was more widely distributed than earlier thought.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says that consumers should look out for several more Rancher's Beef products. It is suspected that the beef contains E. coli. The link above has a list of the products and the stores the beef was delivered. Here's our original notice on the beef recall.

First we had the Topps frozen hamburger patty recall that eventually closed the company, and now comes this.

Cargill Meat Solutions has recalled almost 845,000 pounds of frozen patties. Several cases of sickness have been reported, and the company did find E. coli in their plant. The patties are sold under the name American Chef Selection of Angus Frozen Ground Beef Patties. The meat was produced in August and has been sold in Sam's Clubs locations across the country.

You didn't think this week was going to go by without a food recall notice, did you?

Topps Meat Company is recalling over 331,000 pounds of frozen hamburger because of E. coli concerns. Six people have gotten sick from the contamination, and three of them had to be hospitalized.

The patties were distributed under several different names and several different box sizes and dates. Here's a complete list of the recalled items from the USDA.

This week's food recall announcment: Dole salad mix.

No one has gotten sick yet, but a store in Canada sold a bag of Dole Hearts Delight that tested positive for E. Coli. The recall is for nine states and includes all packages of Dole Hearts Delight. The states involved are Maine, Mississippi, New York, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Illinois, and Indiana. The recall also includes Ontario, Quebec and the Maritime Provinces in Canada.

Here's a rundown on the lot numbers and the dates on the packages.

With all the concern about this month's E. coli outbreak caused by fresh spinach, I have been operating under the assumption that one should avoid all spinach both cooked and raw. Given my meat intake, avoiding Popeye's favorite veggie in all its forms is no big deal for me.

I was ordering dinner at one of my favorite Chinese restaurants the other night when I found myself craving some greens to go with my short ribs. Without a second thought, I asked the waiter for a side of baby spinach with garlic. As he returned to the kitchen it dawned on me that I had ordered greens that might be harboring E. coli. Rather than change my order, I threw caution to the wind. The bright green baby spinach leaves studded through with tiny pieces of garlic and sitting atop a shallow pool of their cooking liquid were delicious.

As I walked home I was more than a little concerned that I might fall ill with cramps and perhaps worse. As you may now have guessed nothing of the sort occurred. The reason, as I just learned from an article in The Boston Globe this morning is that cooking destroys E. coli in spinach. So eat your greens with gusto, as long as they're cooked, that is.

U.S. health officials issued a warning yesterday urging consumers to avoid eating bagged fresh spinach because of an E. coli outbreak that has sickened 50 and resulted in one fatality.

The death took place in Wisconsin where 20 others were sickened by the bacteria. The other states where consumers were exposed to the bacteria are Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon and Utah.

The FDA has not yet determined the outbreak's specific cause, but it has linked it to bagged fresh spinach. The agency has thus far not been able to pinpoint the E. coli to a specific grower, brand or supplier and is advising consumers not to eat the produce.