Nationwide recall of ground beef due to E. Coli fears

A nationwide recall of ground beef has been announced after 15 people fell ill with E. coli food poisoning.

More than 160,000 pounds of ground beef from Wolverine Packaging Co. – based in Detroit, Michigan – is being recalled after the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) found Escherichia coli bacteria in a sample of ground beef.

E. coli O157 – the strain found in the beef – is a dangerous form of the bacteria that can cause serious illness and sometimes death in those who consume it.

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Symptoms may include dehydration, bloody diarrhea and stomach cramps, two to eight days after exposure to contaminated food. Most people recover from the infection within a week, but some people – especially young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems – can become seriously ill and at risk of death.

A possible complication of E. coli is a type of kidney failure called hemolytic-uremic syndrome, symptoms of which include easy bruising, paleness, and decreased urine production. People experiencing these symptoms should seek immediate medical attention.

E. coli was discovered in Wolverine Packaging Co. ground beef after 15 people in Minnesota became ill from food poisoning; The Minnesota Department of Agriculture and Health notified FSIS of this on November 13.

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FSIS determined there was a link between ground beef products from Wolverine Packaging Co. and the diseases, and on Nov. 20, a beef sample collected by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture tested positive for E. coli O157. Newsweek has approached Wolverine Packaging Co. for comment via email form.

“FSIS continues to work with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and Health on this investigation,” FSIS said in a statement.

A spokesman from Wolverine Packaging Co. said Newsweek: “Wolverine is conducting an intensive internal audit to fully review processes in place, including strict quality control measures, to maintain the highest manufacturing standards, to prevent similar issues in the future.”

This has previously been told by Natalie Stanton, a Chartered Environmental Health Officer and founder of The Safety Expert in the UK Newsweek that E. coli O157 was “a particularly nasty strain” of E. coli bacteria that could cause serious food poisoning.

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“For many other types of food poisoning bacteria, you need a large number to make you sick, but for E. coli O157, even a low number of the bacteria can make you sick,” Stanton said.

Wolverine Packaging Co. spokesman said: “When cattle are slaughtered and processed, E. coli O157:H7 bacteria in their guts can get onto the meat.

“Ground beef combines meat from many different animals, increasing the risk of contamination.”

Those who became ill in this incident experienced the onset of symptoms between November 2 and 10 and were all in Minnesota — but the beef was shipped to restaurants across the United States

FSIS has said it is concerned that some contaminated products may be in restaurant refrigerators and freezers. It has urged restaurants not to use these products, but to throw them away or return them to their point of purchase instead.

Most of the recalled products are fresh, with a use-by date of November 14. However, some of the products are frozen and do not have this expiration date.

All of the affected products are labeled with a production date of October 22, 2024 and have the company number “EST. 2574B” inside the USDA inspection mark on their packaging.

Anyone concerned that they may be ill from E. coli food poisoning should contact their health care provider, and consumers with food safety questions can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854 ) or email a question to [email protected].

Carrots and falafel are also subject to recalls linked to possible E. coli contamination.

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Update 11/21/24 1:52 PM ET: This article has been updated with comment from Wolverine Packaging Co.