Organic Rancher Ground Beef Sold at Whole Foods May Be Contaminated With E. Coli, USDA Warns

The USDA said it didn’t request a recall because the product is no longer being sold. There have been no confirmed illnesses linked to it.

The announcement came after NPC Processing, the company that produced the ground beef, informed the USDA that the product had tested positive for E. coli.

The beef, sold in 1-pound vacuum-packed packages, was shipped to Whole Foods stores across the U.S. The packages are marked with a “use or freeze by” date of 06-19-25 or 06-20-25 and establishment number “EST. 4027” inside the USDA mark of inspection. The ground beef was produced on May 22 and 23, 2025.

NPC Processing told CR that, in this instance, there was a delay in processing the beef samples taken for pathogen testing as a normal part of the production process. As a result, the beef was shipped to distribution centers and then to Whole Foods stores, where some of it ended up on store shelves. “Whole Foods and the USDA were notified immediately upon confirmation of the pathogen results, and the product was immediately withdrawn from retail shelves,” a company spokesperson said.

As the product was no longer available for sale, the USDA deemed a recall notice unnecessary. “The root cause of the issue and immediate corrective actions have been put in place to ensure the ongoing integrity of the Organic Rancher brand and that such an error is not repeated,” the spokesperson said.

“If you have this Organic Rancher ground beef in your refrigerator or freezer, throw it away,” says James E. Rogers, PhD, director of food and product safety at CR. You can also return the product to Whole Foods for a refund.

Consumers can contact NPC Processing at 802-660-0496 or by sending email to ddesautels@npcprocessing.com.