### Major Ground Beef Recall over Potential E. Coli Contamination

Approximately 167,000 pounds of fresh and frozen ground beef have been recalled due to potential E. coli contamination. This significant recall was announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

The contamination concerns arose after the Minnesota Departments of Agriculture and Health identified a connection between several reported illnesses and ground beef distributed by Wolverine Packing Co., a meat supplier based in Detroit, Michigan. Promptly, the FSIS collaborated with Minnesota officials to investigate the situation.

As of November 20, fifteen individuals had fallen ill, with symptoms typically emerging between November 2 and November 10. On the same day, the FSIS reported that a ground beef sample from Wolverine Packing Co. tested positive for the harmful E. coli O157:H7 bacteria.

The FSIS has released a list of the affected products, complete with images of the product labels included in the recall. The products identified have "use by" dates of November 14 for fresh items and October 22 for frozen options. These recalled products can be recognized by the establishment number "EST. 2574B" within the USDA inspection mark.

Given that these products have been distributed to restaurants nationwide, the FSIS expressed concern that some contaminated meat may still be in commercial refrigerators or freezers. They have urged restaurants to refrain from serving these products and advised consumers to ensure their ground beef is thoroughly cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit to eliminate any bacteria.

E. coli O157:H7, the strain found in the contaminated beef, is known to cause severe health issues, including intestinal bleeding, bloody diarrhea, and hemolytic uremic syndrome, a condition that can lead to significant kidney damage. This is the same bacterial strain linked to previous contamination incidents, such as the one involving onions in some McDonald's Quarter Pounders this past October.