Ground beef flagged for possible E.Coli contamination

A major health alert has been issued for ground beef products due to possible E. coli contamination.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a public health alert Wednesday about the one-pound vacuum-packed packages of Organic Rancher ground beef over contamination concerns.

However, a recall on the beef products was not issued because they are no longer available for purchase, according to the health alert.

The affected beef had a “Use or Freeze by” date of either June 19, 2025, or June 20, 2025, on the packaging and the establishment number, EST. 4027. The item was shipped to distributor locations in Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, and Maryland, and Whole Foods Market retail stores nationwide.

An alert on the beef was issued after NPC Processing Inc., which owns Organic Rancher, told FSIS the shipped beef tested positive for a strain of E. coli known to cause severe illness in humans.

At the time of writing, there have not been any reports of illness.

Still, the FSIS is concerned that the product is in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers. So, shoppers are being urged to either throw away the beef or return it to the place of purchase.

According to the alert from the FSIS, “E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause dehydration, bloody diarrhea, and abdominal cramps two to eight days after exposure to the organism.”

The condition can occur among people of any age, but it is most common in older adults and children under five years old. Early symptoms can include easy bruising, pallor, and decreased urine output.

The health alert for the ground beef comes days after a popular sparkling water was voluntarily recalled over contamination fears.

Coca-Cola sent a letter to Costco members Monday announcing that they were voluntarily recalling Topo Chico Mineral Water due to the possible presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacteria that occurs naturally in water sources, including mineral water.

According to the letter, the health risks of consuming mineral water with Pseudomonas are “very low” in healthy individuals and will only cause “minor health consequences” in people with “weakened immune systems.”

The recall specifically applies to bottles that were sold at select Costco warehouses in Texas and Louisiana from May 20 to May 29, 2025.

Last week, an ongoing tomato recall was elevated by the FDA after it found that a possible salmonella risk could lead to death.

The recall of H&C Farms Label tomatoes was announced in May, after Williams Farms Repack LLC distributed the potentially salmonella-contaminated tomatoes to wholesalers in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. The FDA recently upgraded the recall to a Class I, described as “a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.”