The Recall Desk
Agency classPublic Health AlertOur severity:HighUSDA FSIS·PHA-06032025-01·Announced 2025-06-03

USDA Issues Public Health Alert for Organic Ground Beef Due to E. Coli O157:H7

USDA FSIS issued a public health alert for Organic Rancher ground beef potentially contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. Consumers are urged not to consume the product.

The agency’s classification

USDA FSIS: Public Health Alert

Public Health Alert is a warning FSIS issues when there is a food-safety concern but a recall is not requested, typically because the affected product is no longer available for purchase.

This is the agency’s own classification, taken from its notice. The severity score below is our assessment, not the agency’s. How recall classes work

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 3/5 (High).

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 recall involves a high-risk pathogen (E. coli O157:H7) without reported illness, which corresponds to a severity score of 3 per the rubric.

Plain-English summary

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a public health alert on June 3, 2025, for 1-lb. vacuum-packed packages of "ORGANIC RANCHER ORGANIC GROUND BEEF 85% LEAN 15% FAT." The products, produced by NPC Processing, LLC on May 22 and May 23, 2025, bear establishment number EST. 4027 and have "Use or Freeze By" dates of June 19, 2025, and June 20, 2025.

The alert was issued because the establishment notified FSIS that the ground beef tested positive for E. coli O157:H7. The product was shipped to distributors in Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, and Maryland, and further distributed to Whole Foods Market retail locations nationwide. FSIS did not request a formal recall because the products are no longer available for purchase, but some may remain in consumers' refrigerators or freezers.

There have been no confirmed reports of illness due to consumption of these products. E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause dehydration, bloody diarrhea, and abdominal cramps, and in some cases, hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them and should throw them away or return them to the place of purchase. FSIS advises cooking ground beef to an internal temperature of 160 F to kill harmful bacteria.

The recalled product

Product
FSIS Issues Public Health Alert for Ground Beef Products Due to Possible E. Coli O157:H7 Contamination
Brand
NPC Processing, LLC
Manufacturer
NPC Processing, LLC
Category
Food — Ground Beef
Hazard

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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