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Blog Post  Consumer Alert: Hello Fresh E. Coli Warning

Consumers who received HelloFresh meal kits shipped between July 2, 2022 and July 21, 2022 are advised to throw out the included 10oz Ground Beef package due to potential E Coli contamination.
9/15/2022
  • Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation
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OCABR has an important Food Safety Alert from the CDC for consumers who use HelloFresh meal kits. Seven people have become sick with E. coli following an outbreak linked to Ground Beef, and so far, six people have been hospitalized. All six people who were interviewed in this outbreak reported eating ground beef from HelloFresh before they got sick. Investigators are working to determine if any other ground beef might be contaminated. Below is information you will need to know how to identify the contaminated food, what you should do, and symptoms of E. coli.

Contaminated Food: Ground beef in select HelloFresh meal kits shipped from July 2 to July 21, 2022

  • The meal kits, which may include contaminated ground beef, were shipped to consumers from July 2 to July 21, 2022.
  • The ground beef was packed in 10-oz. plastic vacuum-packed packages inside a variety of HelloFresh meal kits. The beef was labeled “GROUND BEEF 85% LEAN/15% FAT.”
  • Packages have “EST.46841” inside the USDA inspection mark and “EST#46841 L1 22 155” or “EST#46841 L5 22 155” on the side of the packaging.

What you should do: If you received HelloFresh meal kits with ground beef in July and froze any of the ground beef, check your freezer to see if you have this lot of ground beef.

  • Do not eat any of this lot of ground beef. Throw it away.
  • Wash surfaces and containers that may have touched the ground beef products using hot and soapy water.
  • Call your healthcare provider if you have one or more of these severe coli symptoms:
    • Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102°F
    • Diarrhea for more than 3 days that is not improving
    • Bloody diarrhea
    • So much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down
    • Signs of dehydration, such as:
      • Not peeing much
      • Dry mouth and throat
      • Feeling dizzy when standing up

 

Symptoms of E. coli

  • Most infected people experience severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody), and vomiting.
    • Symptoms usually start 3 to 4 days after swallowing the bacteria.
    • Most people recover without treatment after 5 to 7 days.
  • Some people may develop serious kidney problems (hemolytic uremic syndrome, also called HUS) and need to be hospitalized.

  • Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation 

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