--- title: Cargill Ground Beef E. coli O26 Outbreak date: 2010-08-30T17:29:06-07:00 author: Bill Marler canonical_url: "https://marlerclark.com/news_events/cargill-ground-beef-e-coli-o26-outbreak" section: News --- [All News](/news_events) / [Outbreaks](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/outbreaks) / # Cargill Ground Beef E. coli O26 Outbreak A cluster of *E. coli* O26 illnesses in Maine and New York in 2010 was traced to ground beef produced by Cargill Meat Solutions of Pennsylvania. [Cargill has issued a recall ](http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Recall_050_2010_Release/index.asp "Cargill issued a recall")for 8,500 pounds of ground beef products for potential *E. coli* O26 contamination. The meat was distributed to [BJ's Wholesale Club locations ](http://www.foodpoisonjournal.com/foodborne-illness-outbreaks/retail-distribution-of-recalled-cargill-ground-beef-products-bjs-was-the-recipient/ "BJ's Wholesale Club locations")in eight states: New York, Maine, Connecticut, Virginia, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maryland. At least 3 *E. coli* illnesses were connected to the recall - two in Maine and one in New York.*E. coli* O26 is one of the seven strains of *Escherichia coli (E. coli)* that is extremely dangerous to humans. The most prevalent strain of Shiga-toxin producing *E. coli* is O157:H7, which is classified as an 'adulterant' by USDA, meaning that it is tested for, and if its presence is detected, the food is held and/or recalled. The other six strains - O26, O45, O111, O121, O145, and O103 also cause severe illnesses, but have not yet been accepted as adulterants despite great efforts by the food safety community. Bill Marler, managing partner of the nation's leading law firm representing victims of foodborne illness, Marler Clark, funded a study of the prevalence of the six Shiga toxin-producing strains of *E. coli*, and then filed a [petition with the USDA](http://www.marlerblog.com/lawyer-oped/petition-for-an-interpretive-rule-declaring-all-enterohemorrhagic-shiga-toxin-producing-serotypes-of/ "petition with the USDA") for their acceptance as adulterants. In late May of 2012, USDA announced that it would begin testing any raw, non-intact beef products or components for contamination with STECs O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145 on June 4, 2012. 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The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more. [ Get a free consultation ](https://marlerclark.com/contact) ##### Related Resources ###### [E. coli Food Poisoning](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/e-coli-food-poisoning) What is E. coli and how does it cause food poisoning? Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a highly studied, common species of bacteria that belongs to the family Enterobacteriaceae, so... ###### [E. coli O157:H7](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/e-coli-o157h7) E. coli O157:H7 is a foodborne pathogen that causes food poisoning. E. coli O157:H7 is the most commonly identified and the most notorious Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) serotype in... ###### [Non-O157 STEC](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/non-o157-stec) Non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli can also cause food poisoning. 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