MARYLAND — Health officials have issued a public health alert in Maryland and other states after ground beef tested positive for E. coli.
A recall was not warranted because the potentially impacted products is no longer on store shelves, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service on Tuesday.
The two products subject to the alert are 1-pound vacuum-pack packages of Organic Rancher's organic ground beef that are 85 percent lean and 15 percent fat with use or freeze-by dates of June 19, 2025 and June 20, 2025. They have the establishment number "EST. 4027" inside the USDA mark of inspection, the FSIS said.
They were produced on May 22 and May 23 and were sent to distributors in Georgia, Connecticut, Illinois and Maryland, as well as Whole Foods Market stores nationally.
The FSIS was notified after ground beef that tested positive for E. coli was shipped for purchase. Though no one had reported being sickened by consuming the packaged beef as of Tuesday, the FSIS advised against consuming the items.
The ground beef products should be disposed or returned to their point of purchase, the FSIS said. Health officials suggested ground beef, fresh or frozen, be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
E. coli, also known as Escherichia coli, is a bacterial organism that can be fatal. Symptoms are dehydration, bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps that can last from 2 to 8 days, or an average of 3 to 4 days.
Recovery can span a week, but the FSIS said E. coli can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome, a form of kidney failure. This is most commonly found in children younger than age 5 and older adults.
Anyone who experiences easy bruising, pallor and decreased urine output should immediately seek medical care as these are signs of hemolytic uremic syndrome, the FSIS said.
Customers with questions regarding the public health alert can contact Danny Desautels, president of NPC Processing, (802) 660-0496.
Food safety questions can be answered by calling the USDA meat and poultry hotline, (888) 674-6854.
Issues with meat, poultry or egg products can be reported via the around-the-clock online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System.