About 167,000 pounds of fresh and frozen ground beef products have been recalled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service for potential E. coli contamination.
The potential contamination was first noticed by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and Health after FSIS determined there was a link between a recent spate of foodborne illnesses and meat from Wolverine Packing Company, a Detroit-based meat distribution company.
The federal agency said it is working with Minnesota officials to investigate the potential contamination, NBC News reports.
As of November 20, 15 patients with symptoms that began to appear between November 2 and November 10 were reported.
On Nov. 10, FSIS issued a press release saying Minnesota officials tested a sample of ground beef from Wolverine Packing and found it contained a strain of E. coli.
FSIS then released a list of all affected products, as well as images of their related product labels. The fresh ground beef affected by the recall has an expiration date of Nov. 14, and the frozen products have an expiration date of Oct. 22, the agency said. All recalled products contain the number “EST 2574B” in the USDA inspection mark.
Affected products were shipped to restaurants across the country, causing some concern within FSIS. The agency is reportedly “concerned that some product may be in restaurant refrigerators or freezers.”
The agency is urging restaurants to check their inventory and not serve the products. It also issued a blanket reminder to consumers to make sure they “prepare their raw meat products safely” by cooking all beef products to 160 degrees Fahrenheit (71.11 C) to ensure all harmful bacteria are killed.
The strain of E. coli found in Wolverine Packing products is the same strain that was linked to McDonald’s onions used in some Quarter Pounders in October.
The strain can cause intestinal bleeding, bloody diarrhea and hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can cause damage to blood vessels in the kidneys, according to the Cleveland Clinic.