Topps Meat Co. was forced to close its doors on Friday after the second largest beef recall in U.S. history. The company, in business since the early 1940s, has been linked to 32 E. coli cases nationwide.

The strain of bacteria lives in the intestine of cattle and can sometimes be found on the hide. As the Topps Meat Co. purchased its meat from outside butcheries, how the contamination entered the plant remains unknown.

A few employees will stay on for the next few weeks, working with the USDA to determine the source of the outbreak.

Facing at least two lawsuits, including a co-lawsuit against Topps Meat Co. & Wal Mart, the Topps Meat Co. faces certain bankruptcy. As a sign of camaraderie, employees of the plant held a cookout, serving the frozen patties the day the plant closed.

This news story comes on the heels of a recent debate between my friends and I about whether or not it is safe to eat deli meat when pregnant.

Dietary rules and restrictions were definitely more lax 25 years ago. That a slice of brie could be as dangerous to a pregnant woman as a cigarette is baffling.

Has America really survived two world wars, terrorism and countless natural disasters to be exterminated by undercooked beef?

I hate to make light of the suffering of others, but it seems to me that everything is bad for you nowadays. Even medicines go on and off the market so quickly it's difficult to trust anything stronger than aspirin.

Last week I read an article about the dangers of doughnuts. I was shocked to discover that frying bread, stuffing it with pudding and rolling it in powdered sugar could be bad for my health. What would I do without the Associated Press?

Bottom line, Americans are always looking to assign blame.

Instead of investigating the source of a problem for the sake of correcting it, we seek to punish, even if the problem is beyond human control.

If you spill hot coffee on yourself, you sue the restaurant. If you throw your back out at work, you sue your employer. It's all about personal gain.

I feel sorry for all of the victims, including the Topps Meat Co.

I also feel sorry for our local farmers, as this incident will undoubtedly impact the demand for beef; yet another blow to the agricultural economy of New York.

In the meantime, the USDA encourages all consumers to cook beef to at least 160 degrees internal temperature to kill any bacteria prior to consumption.

Estabrook's column appears Mondays and she can be reached at estabrookcarole@yahoo.com