Over 160,000 Pounds Of Ground Beef Were Just Recalled. Here's Why

Ground beef is a versatile form of meat, good for everything from burgers to taco soup, which makes it no shocker that it has grown to become a billion-dollar industry. However, the sheer volume that gets sold makes days like today far more difficult, as there has been a recall on 167,277 pounds of ground beef due to potential E. coli contamination. And while it's not on the list of the most widespread recalls of all time, it could still prove to be incredibly dangerous. 

The recalled ground beef comes out of Wolverine Packing Company, a meat-packing establishment out of Detroit, Michigan, that's said to produce 8,000,000 burger patties each week. The recall pertains to ground beef products that have been purchased nationwide with the establishment number 2574B on their packaging, a production date of October 22nd, 2024, and a use-by date of November 14th, 2024.

It was first believed by the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service — also known as FSIS — that these products were contaminated by E. coli earlier this month due to several isolated reports of consumers becoming sick after consuming the ground beef in question. After further investigation, a sample of Wolverine Packing Co. ground beef tested positive for E. coli, and the recall was put into effect. As of November 20th, 15 people have become sick as a result of the E. coli contamination, with the affected consumers first experiencing symptoms between November 2nd and November 10th, 2024.

The ground beef alert has been classified as a Class I recall by the FSIS, the most dangerous and severe classification a recall can receive. While restaurants that stored the meat in refrigerators likely already used the meat considering its November 14th use-by date, The FSIS warned that establishments may still be carrying contaminated ground beef in their freezers and should investigate accordingly. In the event that your ground beef is among the lots that have been recalled, both restaurants and home cooks are advised not to use it and to promptly throw it away or return it to the store they bought it from.

The reason for such measures comes down to the extreme danger E. coli presents to both humans and animals. The bacteria is known to make those who consume it ill — often with diarrhea, stomach cramps, and vomiting — but in some severe cases E. coli can lead to severe health issues and even death. This, unfortunately, was the case with one consumer during a recent E. coli outbreak in carrots.