According the Center’s for Disaese and Control (CDC), two people have died and twenty-eight people across the nation have become ill after eating meat contaminated with the same strain of E. Coli bacteria. Of the twenty people who have become ill, sixteen have been hospitalized and three are experiencing kidney failure.

The meat appears to have come from Fairbank Farms, an Ashville, NY, company. Last week the company recalled approximately 545,699 pounds of fresh ground beef which included products sold at Trader Joes, Price Chopper, Lancaster and Wild Harvest, Shaw's, BJ’s, Ford Brothers, and Giant (specific products are listed below).

Although the products were initially distributed in only seven states including Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, it appears retailers have sent infected beef to other states given infections elsewhere including in Maine, Connecticut, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Minnesota, Vermont, and California.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), each possibly contaminated package “bears the establishment number "EST. 492" inside the USDA mark of inspection or on the nutrition label”. All potentially contaminated products were packaged on September 15 and 16, 2009, and may have been labeled at the retail stores with a sell-by date from September 19 through 28, 2009.

Products recalled include the following:

Trader Joes:

1-pound packages of "TRADER JOE'S BUTCHER SHOP FINE QUALITY MEATS GROUND BEEF 85/15." 1-pound packages of "TRADER JOE'S BUTCHER SHOP FINE QUALITY MEATS GROUND BEEF 80/20." NOTE: The sell-by dates for the above two products may be October 6 or 7, 2009. • 1-pound trays of "TRADER JOE'S BUTCHER SHOP FINE QUALITY MEATS GROUND BEEF PATTIES 96/4 EXTRA LEAN." • 1-pound trays of "TRADER JOE'S BUTCHER SHOP FINE QUALITY MEATS GROUND BEEF PATTIES 85/15."

Price Chopper:

1- and 2.5-pound trays of "PRICE CHOPPER MEATLOAF & MEATBALL MIX." • 1-pound trays of "PRICE CHOPPER EXTRA LEAN GROUND BEEF 96/4." • 1-pound trays of "PRICE CHOPPER FRESH GROUND BEEF CHUCK FOR CHILI 80% LEAN 20% FAT."

Lancaster and Wild Harvest:

1-pound trays of "LANCASTER BRAND 96/4 EXTRA LEAN GROUND BEEF." • 1- and 2-pound trays of "LANCASTER BRAND 90/10 GROUND BEEF." • 1-pound trays of "WILD HARVEST NATURAL 85/15 ANGUS GROUND BEEF."

Shaw's:

1- and 2-pound trays of "SHAW'S FRESH GROUND BEEF 93/7." • 1-, 2- and 3-pound trays of "SHAW'S FRESH GROUND BEEF 80/20." • 1- and 3-pound trays of "SHAW'S FRESH GROUND BEEF 75/25." • 1.3-pound trays of "SHAW'S FRESH GROUND SIRLOIN BEEF PATTIES 90/10." • 1.3-pound trays of "SHAW'S FRESH GROUND ROUND BEEF PATTIES 85/15." • 1.3-pound trays of "SHAW'S FRESH GROUND BEEF PATTIES 80/20." • 3-pound trays of "SHAW'S FRESH GROUND BEEF PATTIES FAMILY PACK 80/20." • 1-pound trays of "SHAW'S ANGUS GROUND BEEF 85/15." • 1-, 2- and 3-pound trays of "SHAW'S FRESH GROUND ROUND BEEF 85/15." • 1-pound trays of "SHAW'S 90% NATURAL GROUND BEEF." • 1-pound trays of "SHAW'S 85% NATURAL GROUND BEEF." • 1-, 2- and 3-pound trays of "SHAW'S FRESH GROUND SIRLOIN 90/10." • 1-pound trays of "MEATLOAF & MEATBALL MIX."

BJ's:

5-pound trays of "FRESH GROUND BEEF, CONTAINS 15 % FAT" patties. • 3- and 5-pound trays of "LEAN GROUND BEEF, CONTAINS 7% FAT." • 2.5-pound trays of "MEATLOAF & MEATBALL MIX." Ford Brothers • 3-pound trays of "FRESH GROUND BEEF, CONTAINS 20% FAT" patties.

Giant:

1-pound trays of "GIANT EXTRA LEAN GROUND BEEF 96/4." • 1-pound trays of "GIANT MEATLOAF & MEATBALL MIX." • 1-pound trays of "GIANT NATURE'S PROMISE GROUND BEEF." • 1-pound trays of "GIANT NATURE'S PROMISE GROUND BEEF PATTIES."