Over 167,000 pounds of ground beef distributed around the U.S. has been recalled.
Wolverine Packing Co., a Detroit, Michigan, establishment, is recalling approximately 167,277 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced.
The fresh products have a “use by” date of 11/14/2024 and the frozen products are labeled with production date 10 22 24. View full product list. View labels.
The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 2574B” inside the USDA mark of inspection.
The problem was discovered when FSIS was notified by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture of a group of ill people who reported that they consumed ground beef prior to their illnesses.
FSIS was notified of illnesses on November 13, 2024, and working in conjunction with Minnesota Departments of Agriculture and Health, FSIS determined that there was a link between the ground beef products from Wolverine Packing Co. and the illness cluster.
On Wednesday a ground beef sample collected by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture as part of an outbreak investigation tested positive for E. coli O157. To date, 15 patients have been identified in one state with illness onset dates ranging from November 2 to November 10.
Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a healthcare provider.
“E. coli is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause dehydration, bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps two to eight days after exposure to the organism, according to FSIS. “While most people recover within a week, some develop a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome. This condition can occur among persons of any age but is most common in children under five-years old and older adults. It is marked by easy bruising, pallor, and decreased urine output. Anyone who experience these symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately.”
FSIS advises consumers to safely prepare their raw meat products, both fresh and frozen, and only consume ground beef that has been cooked to a temperature of 160 F.
The only way to confirm that ground beef is cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria is to use a food thermometer that measures internal temperature, https://www.fsis.usda.gov/safetempchart.
Consumers with food safety questions can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854) or send a question via email to MPHotline@usda.gov. For consumers that need to report a problem with a meat, poultry, or egg products, the online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at https://foodcomplaint.fsis.usda.gov/eCCF/.
(Photo courtesy of Yahoo.com)
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
