The arrival of June officially ushers in all things summer—and with that comes grilling season. But before you start up those flames to satisfy a craving for classic, juicy burgers, there’s a new notice from one governmental agency that says the ground beef for those patties could be contaminated.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a public health alert for “ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.” According to the Mayo Clinic, the O157:H7 strain of E. coli, a type of bacteria, “can cause severe stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea and vomiting.”

The alert is marked as “nationwide” on the FSIS website. The agency’s report says that the ground beef was produced between May 22 and May 23. It was then reportedly sent to distributor locations in four states—Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, and Maryland—before being “further distributed to Whole Foods Market retail locations nationwide.”

It is not listed as an official recall, as the affected ground beef is no longer available for purchase. However, the product could be at home in refrigerators or freezers, says the FSIS, and should not be consumed.

Products from the Organic Rancher brand are sold exclusively at Whole Foods Markets, according the company’s website, and a separate product alert there offers additional details. In it, Organic Rancher says the product was “available for purchase from Whole Foods Market retail locations” between May 26 and June 3.

The company also expands on the distribution information, saying the ground beef was available in a total of 26 states and Washington, D.C. The listed states are: Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

The product details provided by FSIS include:

  • ORGANIC RANCHER ORGANIC GROUND BEEF 85% LEAN 15% FAT
  • Sold in 1-lb. vacuum-packed packages
  • Use or Freeze By dates of 06-19-25 or 06-20-25
  • Establishment number “EST. 4027” inside the USDA mark of inspection

Product label images were also provided by the FSIS.

Organic Rancher’s alert says any states not mentioned in their recall notice “are not impacted” and any products that have different “Use By” or “Freeze By” dates are “safe to consume.”

The problem was apparently discovered “when the establishment notified FSIS that they shipped into commerce ground beef product that tested positive for E. coli O157:H7.” The FSIS says there have been no confirmed reported illnesses related to the affected products, but anyone concerned about a potential illness should reach out to a healthcare provider.

“The root cause of the issue has been identified, and immediate corrective actions have been put in place to ensure the ongoing integrity of the Organic Rancher brand,” says the Organic Rancher’s website.

Consumers are instructed to either throw the product away or return it to the original place of purchase.

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Molly Jasinski
Molly Jasinski has worked as a writer, editor and social media manager for almost 15 years. She previously worked as an editor for the magazine Birds & Blooms. She’s also held other positions at Trusted Media Brands, working on direct-to-consumer books, editing special interest publications, and assisting with digital production and social me...
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Molly Jasinski