(WWJ) — A Detroit-based company has issued a recall for more than 150,000 lbs. of ground beef sold across the country because it may be contaminated with E. coli.
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Services (FSIS) announced Wednesday Wolverine Packing Co. — located on Rivard Street in Eastern Market — is recalling approximately 167,277 lbs. of beef that was sold to restaurant locations nationwide.
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 the full list of recalled products and see the labels of recalled products here.
The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 2574B” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to restaurant locations nationwide.
The problem was first discovered by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture after a group of people reported they had consumed Wolverine ground beef prior to falling ill.
FSIS was notified of the illnesses on Nov. 13, 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.”
This Wednesday, a ground beef sample collected in Minnesota as part of an outbreak investigation tested positive for E. coli O157 — a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause dehydration, bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps 2–8 days (3–4 days, on average) after exposure the organism.
FSIS is concerned that some of the Wolverine product may be in restaurant refrigerators or freezers. Restaurants are urged not to serve these products. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.
To date, the USDA says 15 case-patients have been identified in one state, with illness onset dates ranging from Nov. 2-10.
The USDA says while most people recover within a week from E. coli 0157, some develop a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). This condition can occur among persons of any age but is most common in children under 5-years old and older adults. It is marked by easy bruising, pallor, and decreased urine output. Persons who experience these symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately.
Consumers and members of the media with questions about the recall can contact Don Tanner, company representative at 248-762-1533.
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 product, the online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at https://foodcomplaint.fsis.usda.gov/eCCF/.
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