E. coli outbreak linked to ground beef served at Twin Cities restaurants, MDH says

State health officials say an E. coli outbreak within the past month is linked to a batch of ground beef that was distributed to several restaurants around the Twin Cities.

So far, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has identified 11 illnesses: 10 across multiple locations of Red Cow and another traced to Hen House Eatery in Minneapolis.

All restaurants had received ground beef from the same supplier, and the suspected contaminated product could have been delivered elsewhere.

MDH officials say the people who were sickened ate from the restaurants between Oct. 31 and Nov. 7, and two cases resulted in hospitalizations.

The owners of Red Cow and Hen House Eatery are reportedly cooperating with MDH and have changed their ground beef product.

Symptoms of illness caused by this particular strain, E. coli O157, include stomach cramps and diarrhea with bloody stools. People usually show signs of sickness two to five days after exposure, but it can range from one to eight days, according to MDH.

Anyone who believes they are ill from an E. coli infection is advised to contact their health care provider.

Red Cow provided the following statement regarding the outbreak:

At Red Cow, the health and safety of our guests is our top priority. We were informed by the Minnesota Department of Health that cases of E. coli have potentially been traced to a Wolverine ground beef product sourced through US Foods that we previously used in the restaurants. 

In response, we took immediate action to work with public health officials to remove the suspected product from our restaurants and have removed the producers from our supply chain.  Red Cow is no longer serving the ground beef that was identified as the potential source. In addition to the product-producer changes.  

There are approximately 61 other restaurants that purchased the product, in containing this outbreak. We ask anyone experiencing symptoms to contact the Minnesota Department of Health and seek proper medical attention.

Health inspectors were on-site immediately, and all locations passed inspection. No closures were required due to the source of the outbreak being a product-related issue. All of our locations have been thoroughly disinfected and sanitized following Department of Health standards to ensure our environment is safe for all our guests and team members.

We want to assure our guests that we’ve removed any products identified by the Department of Health and, out of an abundance of caution, have switched suppliers to provide an even safer dining experience. Your trust means everything to us, and we’re fully committed to serving you delicious, safe food every day.