A Michigan company is recalling more than 167,000 pounds of ground beef products because of a possible E. coli contamination, the fourth major recall tied to a food-borne illness nationally in the past five months, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture release.
Wolverine Packing Co., a Detroit establishment, is recalling approximately 167,277 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced Wednesday.
The fresh products have a "use by" date of 11/14/2024 and the frozen products are labeled with production date 10/22/24.
The products subject to recall have an establishment number "EST. 2574B" inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to restaurant locations nationwide.
The problem was discovered when FSIS was notified by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture of a group of ill persons who had reported that they consumed ground beef prior to their illness.
FSIS was notified of illnesses on Nov. 13 and, working in conjunction with Minnesota Departments of Agriculture and Health, it determined that there was a link between the ground beef products from Wolverine Packing Co. and this illness cluster.
To date, 15 case-patients have been identified in one state with illness onset dates ranging from Nov. 2 to 10.
Other recent recalls include:
-- A recall of Boar's Head products that began in July because of a listeria outbreak grew to 7 million pounds and has been tied to 10 deaths.
-- A BrucePac nationwide recall of meat and poultry products potentially contaminated with listeria in October has expanded to nearly 12 million pounds and now includes ready-to-eat meals sent to U.S. schools, restaurants and major retailers, federal officials said.
-- At least 104 people have been sickened, with 34 hospitalized, in an outbreak of E. coli food poisoning tied to onions served on McDonald's Quarter Pounder hamburgers, federal health officials said this month.