Are Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin Affected in Ground Beef Recall?

Lately, it seems there has been a deluge of recalls: milk, carrots, and cheese to name a few, all with potential to impact Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Sadly, there's now another new recall to worry about, this one impacting a dinner-table staple.

Ground beef is the latest item to be recalled, and this one is a bit tricky to parse. At the heart of the recall is Detroit-based meat manufacturer Wolverine Packing Co. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) first announced the recall last Wednesday, and noted that it covers about 162,277 pounds of fresh and frozen ground beef distributed to restaurants across the United States.

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Wolverine Packing Co. is a name you're unlikely with which to be familiar. However, the company stocks some well-known, instantly recognizable brands like Tyson, Jennie-O, Perdue, Certified Angus Beef, and Western Buffalo, per USA Today.

According to the USDA's notice, over 100 products manufactured by Wolverine are subject to recall after 15 illnesses were reported to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and subsequently traced back to the company's ground beef. Some products could be in restaurant refrigerators and must be disposed of immediately, per the agency.

The affected products could be harboring E. coli, a deadly bacteria found in the intestines of people and animals. The bacteria can cause symptoms akin to dehydration, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever, per the CDC. Illness can last a week with symptoms developing within three to four days after consuming contaminated food.

Wolverine was previously involved in a larger recall in 2014. 1.8 million pounds of ground beef products were recalled due to possible E. coli contamination. That recall resulted in 11 known illnesses in four states. Wolverine currently employs over 900 people, and distributes boxed beef, pork, poultry, lamb, veal, frozen seafood, portioned-cut meats, and ground beef.

The ongoing Wolverine ground beef recall spans over 100 raw fresh and frozen ground beef products. Fresh products have a "use by" date of 11/14/2024, and the frozen products are labeled iwth a production date of 10/22/24. All impacted products have the establishment number "EST. 2574B" inside the USDA mark of inspection.

A complete list of all affected products released by the USDA can be found here.

Read more about the ongoing Wolverine Packing Co. ground beef recall on USA Today's website.