Wolverine Packing Co. on Wednesday recalled over 167,000 pounds of ground beef products due to the risk that the meat could have E. coli present in it.
The recalled ground beef produced by the Detroit-based company, and sent to eateries across the country, may be tainted with a particular strain of the bacteria known as E. coli O157:H7, according to the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
The FSIS said it was “concerned that some product may be in restaurant refrigerators or freezers,” instructing them to toss out or return the recalled ground beef.
Customers can identify the potentially contaminated meat by its “EST. 2574B” establishment number. The packaging also includes a Nov. 14 “use by” date if fresh, or an Oct. 22 production date if frozen, according to the FSIS.
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The recall came after the Minnesota Department of Agriculture told the FSIS about a “group of ill persons who had reported that they consumed ground beef prior to their illness.” Fifteen people have become sick, according to the FSIS.
“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 this illness cluster,” the FSIS said.
Wolverine “has notified all customers that received product encompassed by the recall. We are 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 told FOX Business.
“As a third-generation, family-owned and operated company in business for nearly 90 years, we are committed to food and consumer safety,” it added.
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E. coli O157:H7 is the “most common strain to cause illness in people,” according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. It “produces a powerful toxin that can cause severe illness,” the Minnesota Department of Health has said.
Some common symptoms are dehydration, bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps, per the FSIS. They tend to surface two to eight days after coming into contact with the bacteria. It can also lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome.
The strain is responsible for roughly 70,000 people contracting E. coli on an annual basis, according to Johns Hopkins.
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Wolverine told FOX Business that the company “continues to work closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection (FSIS) on this investigation.”
The company produces 4,000 different meat products, according to its website.
