Whole Foods ground beef alert issued due to E. coli contamination

Whole Foods ground beef alert overview:

• Who: Organic Rancher is involved in a public health alert for ground beef sold at Whole Foods.
• Why: The alert was issued due to potential contamination with E. coli O157:H7. The product is no longer available for purchase, so no official recall has been made.
• Where: The alert is effective in 27 states across the United States.

Organic Rancher has issued a public health alert for its ground beef products sold at Whole Foods, as they may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.

The health alert, announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) on June 3, affects products distributed in 27 states in the United States.

The alert applies to 1-pound vacuum-packed containers of Organic Rancher Organic Ground Beef, which are labeled as 85% lean with 15% fat and have expiration dates of June 19, 2025, and June 20, 2025. The products were manufactured on May 22 and May 23, 2025, and bear the establishment number “EST. 4027” inside the USDA mark of inspection.

The alert was issued after the company informed the FSIS that the ground beef tested positive for E. coli O157:H7. 

“The only way to confirm that ground beef is cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria is to use a food thermometer that measures internal temperature,” the FSIS stated. 

While no illnesses have been reported, the FSIS is concerned that some customers may still have the products in their freezers.

Consumers urged to check for affected ground beef from Whole Foods

The FSIS has advised consumers to check their freezers for the affected ground beef products and to avoid consuming them. Instead, they should either discard the products or return them to the store. 

The ground beef was distributed to Whole Foods Market locations nationwide, with initial shipments sent to distributor locations in Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois and Maryland.

Organic Rancher has stated that the affected products are no longer for sale, and corrective actions have been implemented to prevent future issues.

Consumers with questions about the public health alert can contact NPC Processing Inc. at (802) 660-0496 or via email at [email protected]. Consumers can also contact Organic Rancher directly at 1-844-936-8255 between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. CST, Monday through Friday, or 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Saturday through Sunday.

For food safety questions, the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline is available at (888) 674-6854 or via email at [email protected]. 

Additionally, consumers can report issues with meat, poultry or egg products through the Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System at www.foodcomplaint.fsis.usda.gov/eCCF.

Organic Rancher says it has not received any reports of illness related to the alert so far. The company is not currently facing legal action over the alert, but Top Class Actions follows such alerts closely as they sometimes lead to class action lawsuits.

In November 2024, F&S Fresh Foods recalled 15 oz. packages of Whole Foods Market Organic Carrot Sticks and Organic Carrots & Celery sold in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho and Nevada due to potential contamination with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O121:H19.

Are you affected by the Whole Foods ground beef alert? Let us know in the comments.

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