Public health alert: Deadly E. coli found in beef sent to Whole Foods stores
Organic ground beef distributed to Whole Foods Market stores around the country might have the most deadly form of E. coli, according to a USDA public health alert that posted Tuesday night.
This concerns 1-pound packs of Oraganic Rancher Organic Ground Beef, 85% Lean, 15% Fat” with use or freeze by dates of “06-19-25” and “06-20-25.” They have “EST. 4027” inside the USDA mark of inspection.
From NPC Processing’s facility in Shelburne, Vermont, the beef went to distributors in Georgia, Illinois, Maryland and Connecticut, then “was further distributed to Whole Foods Market retail locations nationwide.”
MORE: Silence on an E. Coli outbreak shows how changes under Trump affect food safety
A recall hasn’t been made by NPC because, the USDA said, beef packs aren’t available for purchase anymore. But they could be in consumers’ freezers.
The USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service learned of the problem when NPC told the agency it “shipped into commerce ground beef product that tested positive for E. coli O157:H7.”
That’s a shiga toxin-producing form of E. coli, which, the CDC says, “is the most common cause of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).”
HUS is a form of kidney failure that can make E. coli a fatal infection. Children under 5 years old and adults over 65 have the highest vulnerability to HUS, but it can hit people of any age. Most folks who infected with E. coli suffer from two to eight days of vomiting, bloody diarrhea or severe stomach cramps.
READ MORE: Florida farm’s cucumber salmonella recalls hit Walmart, Publix, others
Anyone with questions about this alert can contact NPC Processing President Danny Desautels at 802-660-0496, 802-310-7644 or ddesautels@npcprocessing.com.
This story was originally published June 4, 2025 at 9:55 AM