Ground Beef Recall Spreads Across Six States Amid E. coli Fears

The Friday-Night Discovery

It was just past 9 p.m. when Dr. Lisa Morano’s phone buzzed on the counter of the Ohio Department of Agriculture lab. A routine sample of ground beef—taken from a discount grocery chain in suburban Columbus—had come back positive for E. coli O157:H7, the strain that can shut down kidneys in children.

Within minutes, her team was pulling every lot number that shared the same grinding equipment. By midnight, they had traced 42,800 pounds of product already shipped to six states.

From Plant to Plate in 48 Hours

The recall notice hit the USDA website at dawn Saturday, but pallets of the beef had already vanished into restaurant freezers and family refrigerators. Investigators now believe the contamination happened during a single 12-hour production window at a Midwest facility that processes trim from multiple slaughterhouses.

“We’re not talking about a little corner butcher shop,” said Deputy FDA Commissioner Frank Lauer. “This is industrial-scale grinding, where one bad batch becomes 40,000 meals.”

What Consumers Should Do

• Check for lot codes starting with "EST 245C" and freeze-or-use-by dates of June 12–14.
• Return or discard the product; cooking to 160 °F may not neutralize heat-stable toxins.
• Watch for bloody diarrhea or severe cramping within 10 days of eating ground beef.

The Human Toll

As of Monday, nine people—ranging from a 4-year-old in Michigan to a 73-year-old in Texas—have been hospitalized. Three have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a potentially fatal kidney complication.

Parents like Carla Nguyen of Louisville learned the news from a push alert while packing school lunches. "My heart stopped. We had tacos with that beef on Sunday," she said. Her two sons are still awaiting lab results.

Industry Under Scrutiny

The plant at the center of the recall passed its last USDA inspection in March with a "satisfactory" rating. Critics argue that spot checks miss the intermittent bursts of bacteria that flourish when carcasses are mechanically tenderized.

"We need continuous microbial testing, not snapshots every six months," said Seattle-based food-safety attorney Bill Marler, who has represented E. coli victims for three decades.

What Happens Next

Federal investigators are now sequencing bacterial DNA from both patients and product to confirm the link. Results are expected within 48 hours and could trigger an expansion of the recall. Meanwhile, grocery chains including FreshMart and KingValue have pulled all fresh and frozen ground beef made at the facility, even lots not yet flagged.

In a statement late Tuesday, the processor, Premier Protein Meats, pledged "full cooperation" but declined interview requests.

For families staring at half-empty fridges, the episode is a stark reminder of how quickly dinner can turn into a medical emergency.