Ground beef that may have been tainted with E. coli and sold at Whole Foods stores across the United States is the subject of a public health notice from the US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). One-pound vacuum-sealed containers of "ORGANIC RANCHER ORGANIC GROUND BEEF 85% LEAN 15% FAT" were manufactured on May 22 and 23, 2025. The affected items have the establishment number "EST. 4027" inside the USDA mark of inspection and are labelled "Use or Freeze By 06-19-25" and "Use or Freeze By 06-20-25.”
The FSIS said, "Consumers are advised not to consume this product if they have it in their homes." "You should either throw these products away or return them to the store where you bought them." No illnesses have been recorded to date. Nonetheless, the organisation warned that E. coli is a "potentially deadly bacterium" that can result in serious symptoms like dehydration, cramping in the abdomen, and bloody diarrhoea. Haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a severe kind of kidney failure, can occasionally result from it, particularly in older persons and children under the age of five.
According to the notice, "it is characterised by easy bruising, pallor, and decreased urine output." "Anyone exhibiting these symptoms needs to get emergency medical attention right away." Customers are advised to inspect their freezers and refrigerators and take appropriate action if they discover the impacted product.
Officials caution that even though the food is no longer available for purchase, it can still be in customers' freezers. It was sent to distributors in the following states and distributed across the country by Whole Foods Market:
Connecticut
Georgia
Illinois
Maryland