After E. coli O157:H7 was deemed an adulterant in 1994 and after the US Food Code increased internal cook temperatures for hamburgers from 140 to 155 (USDA suggests 160), E. coli cases became a smaller and smaller part of my law firm’s diet. Well, restaurants are taking their eye off the thermometer and business is now booming.

Wolverine Packing E. coli Outbreak

At least 19 people in Minnesota have been sickened by E. coli O157 tied to a national recall of more than 167,000 pounds of potentially tainted ground beef. FSIS was notified of illnesses on November 13, 2024, and working in conjunction with Minnesota Departments of Agriculture and Health, FSIS determined that there was a link between the ground beef products from Wolverine Packing Co. and this illness cluster. On November 20, 2024, a ground beef sample collected by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture as part of an outbreak investigation tested positive for E. coli O157. To date, case-patients have been identified in Minnesota with illness onset dates ranging from November 2, 2024, to November 10, 2024. The infections occurred in people who had eaten hamburgers at Red Cow restaurants in the Minneapolis and Rochester areas, as well as the Hen House Eatery in Minneapolis. 

Wagyu Beef E. coli Outbreak

The Flathead City-County Health Department (FCCHD) and the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) worked to investigate an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak originating in Flathead County. Illnesses have been reported in Montana residents as well as people who visited Montana over the 4th of July week including Arizona, Oregon, Wyoming, Florida, Virginia and Canada.  On July 25th, FCCHD and DPHHS received confirmatory testing results of clinical and food samples verifying ground beef as the exposure of concern. Specifically, the source of the outbreak was wagyu beef from one lot number. All cases reported eating undercooked or made-to-order burgers made with wagyu beef at one of multiple restaurants in Flathead County. The last known date of consumption was July 14, 2024. The following restaurants are associated with the 22 cases of reported illness in this outbreak: Gunsight Saloon; Hops Downtown Grill; Tamarack Brewing Company; the Lodge at Whitefish Lake; and Harbor Grille. Two individuals have died after exposure to wagyu beef consumed at various restaurants.