One Company Just Recalled 160,000 Pounds Of Ground Beef
The Detroit, Michigan, based meat packing company, Wolverine Packing Co., has recalled more than 167,000 pounds of ground beef products due to a possible E. coli contamination, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) on November 20, 2024. The list of products in question — which all bear the establishment number "EST. 2574B" — numbers in the dozens and includes everything from bulk ground beef to common ground beef recipes like steak burgers, burger patties, and chuck/brisket blends.
The fresh products are listed with a use-by date of November 14, while the frozen products have a production date of October 22. According to the press release, the potentially contaminated items were shipped to restaurants around the United States. Restaurants with these products are urged to throw them away or return them to the places they were purchased from. When a recall happens, the FSIS makes sure plants notify customers of recalls and remove questionable products.
Customers fell ill in Minnesota
The FSIS press release states that the problem was discovered after the agency was notified on November 13 by Minnesota's Department of Agriculture about a group of people who became ill after eating ground beef. The FSIS then traced the illness cluster back to Wolverine Packing Co. Further testing on Wednesday, November 20, on a ground beef sample confirmed an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7. The release says that 15 people have been identified so far with illness dates ranging from November 2 to November 10.
As the FSIS continues to work with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, anyone concerned about becoming ill is urged to contact their healthcare provider as soon as possible. While the recovery time for E. coli-related illness is usually short, exposure to the bacterium can cause a multitude of symptoms including bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramps, dehydration, and kidney failure in the most severe cases. This news comes just days after an E. coli outbreak in organic carrots and a month after McDonald's Quarter Pounders were linked to E.coli cases.