Beef Kofta Products from The Kebab Shop Due to E. Coli Contamination
The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a public health alert for beef kofta served at The Kebab Shop restaurant locations in California, Texas, and Florida due to possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination. Nine people in California have become ill.
What this means for you
Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.
Our severity reasoning: The source identifies E. coli O157:H7, a high-risk pathogen known to cause serious illness including hemolytic uremic syndrome. Although 9 illnesses have been reported in California, they are limited to one location and appear to be linked to a localized outbreak. This meets the rubric criterion for high-risk pathogenic contamination with reported illness.
Plain-English summary
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a public health alert on May 24, 2026, regarding beef kofta products served at The Kebab Shop restaurant locations. The beef kofta was produced as a raw ground beef product by Olympia Food Industries, Inc. (Est. 18743) in Franklin Park, Illinois, on January 6, 2026, and distributed to restaurant locations in California, Texas, and Florida. The products are no longer available for purchase. A formal recall was not requested because the beef kofta was pulled from sale on May 18, 2026.
The problem was discovered during an ongoing illness outbreak investigation. FSIS and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) are investigating a localized outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7 that includes 9 sick people in California. Illness onset dates have ranged from March 27, 2026, to April 30, 2026. FSIS collected raw ground beef kofta product samples that tested positive for E. coli O157:H7. Whole genome sequencing results show that the beef kofta samples matched the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7.
E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause dehydration, bloody diarrhea, and abdominal cramps 2 to 8 days after exposure. While most people recover within a week, some develop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure that is most common in children under 5 years old and older adults.
Consumers who ate beef kofta from The Kebab Shop and develop symptoms of STEC infection within 10 days of exposure should contact their health care provider. Consumers should discard any leftover beef kofta from The Kebab Shop. FSIS advises cooking all ground beef products to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F, verified with a food thermometer.
The recalled product
- Product
- FSIS Issues Public Health Alert for Beef Kofta Products Served at The Kebab Shop Restaurant Locations Due to Possible E. Coli O157:H7 Contamination
- Brand
- Olympia Food Industries, Inc.
- Manufacturer
- Olympia Food Industries, Inc.
- Hazard
- e-coli-o157h7
- bacterial-contamination
- hemolytic-uremic-syndrome
Distribution
Distributed in 3 states:
- CA
- TX
- FL
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