Ten Arizona grocery stores are identified as having sold recalled ground beef that have been contaminated with E. coli.  Beef also shipped to, and people sickened in, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

The beef, distributed by California-based United Food Group LLC, has been blamed for an E. coli outbreak in 10 other Western states that resulted in 14 illnesses, spanning April 25 through May 18.  The Arizona Department of Health Services said the following Arizona retailers received ground beef from United Food Group and may have repackaged it under their store brand name:

# Albertson’s (Kroger)

# Basha’s

# Fry’s

# ‘R’ Ranch Markets

# Safeway

# Sam’s Club

# Save-a-lot

# Smart and Final

# Smith’s (Kroger)

# Trader Joe’s

There have been six reported human cases of E. coli in Arizona linked to the outbreak.  Three are in Maricopa, two in Yavapai, and one in Navajo Counties. The patients became ill between May 2 and May 12, health authorities said. They range in age from 6 – 63 years old. Three people required hospitalization.