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By Hatty Willmoth
Food & Nutrition Reporter
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A nationwide recall of ground beef has been announced after 15 people became ill with E. coli food poisoning.
More than 160,000 pounds of ground beef by Wolverine Packing Co.—based in Detroit, Michigan—are being recalled after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) found Escherichia coli bacteria in a sample of ground beef.
E. coli O157—the strain found in the beef—is a dangerous form of the bacteria that can cause serious illness and sometimes death in those who ingest it.
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Symptoms may include dehydration, bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps, two to eight days after exposure to contaminated food. Most people recover from the infection within a week, but some people—particularly young children, older adults and individuals with weakened immune systems—may get seriously ill and could be at risk of death.
One possible complication of E. coli is a type of kidney failure called hemolytic—uremic syndrome, symptoms of which include easy bruising, pallor and decreased urine output. People experiencing these symptoms should seek medical attention immediately.
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E. coli was discovered in Wolverine Packing Co. ground beef after 15 individuals in Minnesota became ill with food poisoning; the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and Health notified the FSIS of this on November 13.
A spokesperson from Wolverine Packing Co. told Newsweek: "Wolverine is conducting an intensive internal audit to fully review processes in place, including rigorous quality control measures, to maintain the highest standards of production, to prevent similar issues happening in future."
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The spokesperson continued: "When cattle are slaughtered and processed, E. coli O157:H7 bacteria in their intestines can get on the meat.
"Ground beef combines meat from many different animals, increasing the risk of contamination."
The FSIS determined that there was a link between ground beef products by Wolverine Packing Co. and the illnesses, and on November 20, a beef sample collected by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture tested positive for E. coli O157.
"FSIS continues to work with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and Health on this investigation," the FSIS said in a statement.
Natalie Stanton, a chartered environmental health officer and founder of The Safety Expert in the U.K., previously told Newsweek that E. coli O157 was "a particularly nasty strain" of E. coli bacteria that could cause serious food poisoning.
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"For many other types of food poisoning bacteria, you need large numbers to make you ill, but for E. coli O157, even low number of the bacteria can make you ill," Stanton said.
Those who became ill in this incident experienced the onset of symptoms between November 2 and 10, and were all in Minnesota—however, the beef was shipped to restaurants throughout the U.S.
The FSIS has said that it is concerned that some contaminated products may be in restaurant refrigerators and freezers. It has urged restaurants not to use these products, but to throw them away or return them to their place of purchase instead.
Most of the recalled products are fresh, with the use by date of November 14. However, some of the products are frozen and do not have this best by date.
All the impacted products are labeled with the production date October 22, 2024, and have the establishment number "EST. 2574B" inside the USDA mark of inspection on their packaging.
Anyone concerned that they may be ill with E. coli food poisoning should contact their health care provider, and 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.
Carrots and falafels are also the subject of recalls linked to possible E. coli contamination.
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Update 11/21/24 1:52 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Wolverine Packing Co.
Correction 11/28/24, 4:37 p.m. ET: This article was updated with a correction to the name Wolverine Packing Co.
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