Nearly 168,000 Pounds of Ground Beef Is Being Recalled—Here's What You Need to Know
Ground beef is back in the hot seat this week as the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has officially announced the recall of approximately 167,277 pounds of ground beef products. The recall comes as a result of reports of ill persons who claimed to have eaten both fresh and frozen ground beef products before becoming sick.
On November 20, Wolverine Packing Co., a Detroit-born establishment, named fresh products with a “Use By” date of 11/14/2024 and frozen products labeled with the production date 10/22/24 as the specific ground beef items in question. As of right now, the recall notice points to a possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination, of which a full list of products affected can be found here, as well as labels here.
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What we know so far is that the products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 2574B” on the inside of the USDA mark of inspection and were shipped to restaurant locations nationwide. The issue was discovered when FSIS was first notified by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture on November 13 of persons falling ill soon after consuming the beef products in question.
Working in conjunction with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the FSIS linked the contaminated ground beef products with Wolverine Packing Co. On November 20, a ground beef sample was taken as part of the outbreak investigation, which tested positive for E. coli O157. Since then, 15 case-patients have been identified in one state with illness onset dates ranging from November 2 through November 10, 2024.
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While both the FSIS and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture are still working together on this investigation, anyone concerned about an illness potentially linked to ground beef consumption is encouraged to contact a healthcare professional for help. E. coli is without a doubt a potentially deadly bacteria that can lead to dehydration, bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps within 2-8 days after exposure. Most individuals infected with E. coli recover within a week, however, some can develop kidney failure in extreme cases, most commonly amongst children under 5 and older adults.
E. coli is marked by easy bruising, pallor and decreased urine output. Those who experience any of these symptoms should immediately seek medical care. The FSIS is concerned that some products may actually be in restaurant refrigerators and freezers, in which case restaurants are urged not to serve these ground beef products and rather throw away or return to the place of purchase.
Furthermore, the FSIS advises all consumers to safely prepare their raw meat products and only consume ground beef that has been cooked to a temperature of at least 160°F so as to ensure the killing of harmful bacteria. Those with further questions about the recall can contact Don Tanner, company representative, at 248-762-1533, or reach out to the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854). Concerned individuals can also send an email to MPHotline@usda.gov in the case the hotline is not accessible.
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