Over 160,000 pounds of ground beef recalled due to E. coli risk

About 167,000 pounds of both fresh and frozen ground beef products have been recalled over possible E. coli contamination, according to the the U.S.

Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). After the Minnesota Departments of Agriculture and Health noticed a link between a group of reported illnesses and ground beef from Wolverine Packing Co., a meat distributor based in Detroit, Michigan, the FSIS said they worked with the Minnesota Departments to investigate.



Fifteen people were reported sick as of Nov. 20, with symptoms beginning between Nov. 2 and Nov.

10. That same day, the FSIS said in a press release , the Minnesota Department tested a ground beef sample from Wolverine Packing Co. and found that it contained a strain of harmful bacteria called E.

coli O157:H7. The FSIS provided a list of all affected products and images of every product label that is part of the recall. The fresh products have a “use by” date of Nov.

14, and the frozen ones have a “use by” date of Oct. 22, they said. The recalled products list the number “EST.

2574B” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These products were shipped to restaurants across the country, causing the FSIS to be “concerned that some product may be in restaurant refrigerators or freezers.” They're urging restaurants “not to serve these products,” and encouraging consumers to “safely prepare their raw meat products,” advising them to cook all beef products to 160 degrees Fahrenheit to properly kill bacteria.

E. coli O157:H7 is the same strain of bacteria linked to onions in some McDonald ’ s Quarter Pounders in October. It can cause intestinal bleeding, bloody diarrhea and hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can damage blood vessels in the kidneys, according to the Cleveland Clinic .

.