Wolverine Packing Co. Recalls Ground Beef Products Due to Possible E. Coli Contamination

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Wolverine Packing Co., a Detroit, Mich. establishment, is recalling approximately 167,277 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced.

The fresh products have a “use by” date of Nov. 14, and the frozen products are labeled with a production date of Oct. 22. View the full product list here. View labels 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 discovered when FSIS was notified by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture of a group of ill people 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, FSIS determined that there was a link between the ground beef products from Wolverine Packing Co. and this illness cluster. On Nov. 20, a ground beef sample collected by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture as part of an outbreak investigation tested positive for E. coli O157. To date, 15 case-patients have been identified in one state with illness onset dates ranging from Nov. 2-10. FSIS continues to work with the Minnesota Departments of Agriculture and Health on this investigation.

Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a healthcare provider, said FSIS. E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause dehydration, bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps two to eight days (three to four days, on average) after exposure the organism. While most people recover within a week, some develop a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). This condition can occur among people of any age but is most common in children under five years old and older adults. It is marked by easy bruising, pallor and decreased urine output. People who experience these symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately.

FSIS said it is concerned that some 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, said FSIS.

FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers.

FSIS advises all consumers to safely prepare their raw meat products, including fresh and frozen, and only consume ground beef that has been cooked to a temperature of 160 degrees F. The only way to confirm that ground beef is cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria is to use a food thermometer that measures internal temperature, said FSIS.

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/.