More than 160,000 pounds of ground beef products shipped to restaurants nationwide was recalled due to possible contamination with E. coli, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety Inspection Service said.
The recall, impacting 167,277 pounds of ground beef, was issued by Michigan-based Wolverine Packing Co., a release said. More than 100 fresh and frozen ground beef products were recalled, the release said.
According to the FSIS, fresh products have a "use by" date of Nov. 14, 2024, and frozen products were labeled with a production date of Oct. 22, 2024. The FSIS urged restaurants nationwide to check refrigerators and freezers for the products, and throw them away or return them to the point of purchase.
A full list of impacted products and labels can be found here.
The problem was discovered when a group of people in Minnesota fell ill after consuming ground beef, the release said. FSIS was notified of the illnesses on Nov. 13, with officials identifying a link between the ground beef products from Wolverine and the illness cluster. Nov. 20, a ground beef sample collected by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture as part of the outbreak investigation tested positive for E. coli, officials said.
15 patients in Minnesota were sickened after eating the beef, the release said, with illness onset dates ranging from Nov. 2 to Nov. 10.
No other states or illnesses were included in the release.
Local
The recall comes amid a multi-state organic carrot recall also due to E. coli concerns, with nearly 40 people sickened across 18 states. 15 of those people were hospitalized, officials said.
It also comes weeks after a deadly E. coli outbreak at McDonald's linked to slivered onions served on Quarter Pounder Hamburgers.
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E. coli symptoms to watch for
According to the CDC, most people infected with E. coli experience severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting. Symptoms typically appear within three to four days of ingesting the bacteria, and most people recover between five and seven days.
Symptoms include:
- Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102°F
- Diarrhea for more than 3 days that is not improving
- Bloody diarrhea
- So much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down
- Signs of dehydration, such as:
- Not peeing much
- Dry mouth and throat
- Feeling dizzy when standing up
What is E. coli?
According to the Mayo Clinic, E. coli stands for Escherichia coli, a bacteria that normally lives "in the intestines of healthy people and animals."
"Most types of E. coli are harmless or cause relatively brief diarrhea. But a few strains ... can cause severe stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea and vomiting," the clinic reported.
People can be exposed to the bacteria from contaminated water or food, particularly raw vegetables or undercooked ground beef.
