A high-priority food recall has been issued for ground beef sent to restaurants across America.
On Wednesday, the Food Safety Inspection Service of the Department of Agriculture issued a recall for 167,277 pounds of ground beef products distributed by Wolverine Packing Co., according to a notice on its website.
The recall was labeled a high priority recall due to the possible effect on health from eating the recalled product.
Multiple brand names and products are affected. The USDA posted a list of recalled products on its website.
Wolverine Packing Co. Recalls Ground Beef Products Due to Possible E. Coli O157:H7 Contamination #USDA #Recallhttps://t.co/d5ECvbDBTP pic.twitter.com/7jD1ooUjM0
— Sandra Frank, EdD, RDN, FAND (@DietitianOnline) November 21, 2024
The notice said the meat may be contaminated with E. coli bacteria. A report from CBS said 17 confirmed E. coli cases have been linked to the meat. All are from Minnesota.
CBS reported that the initial 11 people sickened ate at the Red Cow and Hen House Eatery in Minneapolis.
E. coli symptoms illness include dehydration, bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps that can last two to eight days.
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The USDA said the fresh products have a “use by” date of 11/14/2024 . Frozen products were made on 10/22/24.
The FSIS became involved after the Minnesota Department of Agriculture became aware of several people who became ill after eating ground beef.
Ground beef from Wolverine Packing Co. was sampled and on Wednesday was found to be positive for E. coli the USDA said.
The FSIS announcement urged restaurants to check refrigerators or freezers for the products, which should be thrown away or returned to where they were purchased.
According to Forbes, the strain of E. coli found in Wolverine’s products is the same found in October in onions used in McDonald’s Quarter Pounders.
In a statement, the company said it is working closely with the federal food safety agencies, according to the Detroit News.
“Wolverine has notified all customers that received product encompassed by the recall. We are also conducting an intensive internal audit to fully review suppliers and processes in place, including rigorous quality control measures, to maintain the highest standards of production,” the company said.
“As a third-generation, family-owned and operated company in business for nearly 90 years, we are committed to food and consumer safety. That is our highest priority,” the company said.
In 2014, the company recalled 1.8 million pounds of ground beef products with potential E.coli contamination after 11 people in four states became sick.
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