OMAHA – A federal jury in Omaha, Neb. awarded Wichita, Kansas-based Cargill $9 million in the company's breach of contract lawsuit against Greater Omaha Packing Co.

Cargill alleged that Omaha Packing supplied beef tainted with E. coli O157:H7 to Cargill Meat Solutions Corp. The company alleged that Omaha Packing breached its contract by selling the tainted beef, which sickened dozens of people, including four children. In mid-August 2007, Cargill recalled 845,000 lbs. of beef.

A Cargill spokesman said in a statement: "We are pleased with the jury verdict. The jury agreed that Greater Omaha must be responsible for the safety of its beef products. Cargill holds its suppliers accountable to the same standards we apply to beef produced at our plants."

Omaha Packing claimed that the products that were shipped to Cargill were tested for E. coli O157:H7 by an independent lab, and all products tested negative.