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11 Sickened by E. Coli Food Poisoning in Ground Beef Recall

May 19, 2014 — About 1.8 million pounds of ground beef are being recalled because they may be contaminated with E. coli. At least 11 people were sickened after eating ground beef that was distributed to restaurants in Michigan, Massachusetts, Missouri, and Ohio, according to a notice from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The distributor, Michigan-based Wolverine Packing Company, has published a full list of recalled products (PDF).

The recalled ground beef is marked with the establishment number “EST. 2574B” and has a production date code in the format “Packing Nos: MM DD 14” between “03 31 14” and “04 18 14”. Illnesses occurred from April 22, 2014 to May 4, 2014.

Laboratory tests have confirmed that the strain is E. coli O157:H7, which causes a particularly severe form of food poisoning. Symptoms include dehydration, bloody diarrhea, and abdominal cramps lasting about 3-4 days, on average.

This strain of E. coli can also cause Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), which is a life-threatening type of kidney failure that causes symptoms like bruising, pallor, and decreased urine output.

E. coli is a bacteria that grows in the intestinal tract of humans and animals. It spreads when feces contaminates meat through water, soil, or during the slaughtering process. It can be killed with high temperatures, which is why experts recommend cooking ground beef until it is no longer pink and/or a meat thermometer reads 160ºF.

Do I have a Food Poisoning Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting E. coli induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by ground beef, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Food Poisoning Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

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