The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that more than 165,000 pounds of ground beef, shipped nationwide, could be contaminated with E. coli. This alarming revelation comes straight from Wolverine Packing Co., a Detroit-based meat supplier that's now recalling a whopping 167,277 pounds of its product.
So, what's the deal? The fresh beef in question has a "use by" date of Nov. 14, 2024, while the frozen stuff carries a production date of "10/22/24." If any restaurants got any of these products in the fridge or freezer, they want these places to be on high alert. They're marked with establishment number "EST. 2574B," nestled right inside the USDA inspection stamp, which made their way to restaurants all over the country.
The situation hit the fan when the Minnesota Department of Agriculture connected a string of illnesses to ground beef consumption. During their investigation, they found a sample that tested positive for E. coli O157, a particularly nasty strain of the bacteria. As of now, 15 cases of illness have been reported in Minnesota, with symptoms surfacing between Nov. 2 and Nov. 10 of this year. The FSIS isn't letting this slide; they're continuing their investigation alongside Minnesota health officials.
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Now, if you're wondering why all this matters, let's break it down. E. coli can cause some seriously unpleasant symptoms -- think dehydration, abdominal cramps, and bloody diarrhea. In extreme cases, it can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a life-threatening kidney condition that's especially dangerous for kids under five and older adults. Not exactly the kind of dinner conversation anyone wants to have.
This beef scare comes on the heels of another food safety crisis that has folks talking: McDonald's recently pulled its Quarter Pounders from about one-fifth of its U.S. locations due to an E. coli outbreak that has sickened at least 49 people across 10 states. Sadly, one person has died, and 10 others have been hospitalized, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. McDonald's is currently scrambling to reassure its customers that its restaurants are safe while federal investigators work to uncover the source of this deadly outbreak.