The U.S. Agriculture Department's Food & Safety Inspection Service said Saturday that American Foods Group LLC will recall the potentially dangerous items it distributed in Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin.
The beef products thought to possibly be contaminated with the potentially deadly bacterium were produced Oct. 10, so their use-by-date likely may have expired.
The USDA mark of inspection on the recalled beef products' shipping labels should have the establishment number "Est. 18076" inside.
A recent investigation by the Illinois Department of Public Health into two regional illnesses prompted the recall of the various coarse- and fine-ground beef products.
E. coli can cause dehydration and bloody diarrhea, particularly among senior citizens, young children and those with compromised immune systems.
The federal service said questions about the recall should be addressed directly to the company in Green Bay, Wis., and anyone concerned with related illnesses should contact a physician.