The Detroit-based meat processor Wolverine Packing Co. has recalled 167,277 pounds of ground beef products sold to restaurants after 15 people got E. coli.
The outbreak was discovered when health officials in Minnesota investigated a cluster of 15 people who were diagnosed with E. coli O157:H7 between November 2 and November 10, 2024.
All of the people got sick after eating ground beef products at restaurants, such as hamburgers that were not cooked until well-done.
The restaurants used ground beef from Wolverine Packing Co., and a sample of ground beef that was tested by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture tested positive for E. coli O157.
In response, Wolverine Packing Co. recalled fresh and frozen ground beef products that were shipped to restaurant locations nationwide.
The products being recalled have establishment number “EST. 2574B” inside the USDA mark of inspection.
Health officials are urging restaurants not to serve these products. They can be thrown out or returned to the place of purchase.
This is not the first time Wolverine Packing Co. has recalled ground beef due to an outbreak of E. coli. In 2014, the company recalled 1.8 million pounds of ground beef after 11 people in 4 states were infected with E. coli O157:H7 after eating at restaurants.
Health officials urge consumers to cook raw ground beef to 160ºF, which at a restaurant is equivalent to ordering your burger “well done.”
Source: Wolverine Packing Co. Recalls Ground Beef Products Due to Possible E. Coli O157:H7 Contamination