Throw Away This HelloFresh Ground Beef, CDC Says

A multi-state E.coli outbreak has made at least seven people sick and six of them have been hospitalized, according to the CDC. Ground beef from HelloFresh meal kits may have been the cause of the outbreak.

What to know about the E.coli outbreak

The six people who have been interviewed so far all said they ate ground beef from a HelloFresh meal kit. The data from the CDC shows that they ranged in age from 17 to 69 years.

More people may have been exposed to the outbreak, but not all of them are treated or reported. It can take up to four weeks to determine if a person is part of an outbreak.

How to tell if your ground beef may be contaminated

The HelloFresh meal kits that were shipped to consumers from July 2 to July 21 were found to be contaminated with E. coli. If you put the beef in the freezer after you received it, you should check it now.

There are some products that have information on their packaging.

• Labeled “GROUND BEEF 85% LEAN/15% FAT”
• Packed in 10-oz. plastic vacuum-packed packages
• “EST.46841” inside the USDA inspection mark
• Either “EST#46841 L1 22 155” OR “EST#46841 L5 22 155” on the side of the packaging

What to do if you have the contaminated beef

The CDC is advising anyone who received a meal kit from HelloFresh in July to check their freezer to make sure they have any of the ground beef. Use hot and soapy water to wash any surfaces or containers that it might have touched if you do.