All ground beef sold in Kroger stores throughout Michigan and in Colombus and Toledo, Ohio, between May 21 and June 8 has been recalled by the grocer because of an outbreak of E. coli traced back to their stores.  The company is asking all consumers in those areas to check the sell-by dates on any packages of ground beef that has not yet been consumed.  If ground beef sold during this time is found, consumers are asked to discard it or to return it to any Kroger store for full refund or replacement.

In recent weeks, 19 people in Ohio and 15 in Michigan have become ill after eating the contaminated meat, most of which was traced genetically to the same batch of ground beef sold at Kroger stores during the dates in question.  A food safety manager for Kroger says the company is taking the outbreak very seriously and is working with state health officials to locate the supplier of the contaminated meat.  The tainted meat is no longer available for sale in any Kroger stores so consumers should not refrain from buying the meats now available.

E. coli infection can cause diarrhea that can be bloody and severe and that is often accompanied by abdominal cramps.  The ages of the people sickened by the tainted beef range in age from toddlers to seniors in their late 70s.  The outbreak led to hospitalization for seven people.

To minimize the risk of getting ill from any tainted foods, Ohio health officials advise consumers to wash hands often, dry hands with paper towels when sick or when changing the diapers of sick babies, cook all meats thoroughly, avoid working with food when sick, and wash all fresh produce before preparing or eating it.