Ground beef recalled in Washington, Idaho after testing finds E. coli

Consumers in Washington and five other states should avoid some ground beef products from an Idaho company after testing confirmed contamination with E. coli, federal authorities said Saturday.

Mountain West Food Group, of Heyburn, Idaho, is recalling around 2,855 pounds of raw ground beef sold under its Forward Farms label with a Jan. 13 sell-by date, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

No confirmed reports of illness have been linked to the grass-fed ground beef, which is sold in 16-oz packages, the agency said.

Mountain West issued the recall after routine testing by the Food Safety and Inspection Service showed the presence of E. coli O26, which, like the more common E. coli O157:H7, can lead to serious illness, the agency said.

The recalled products bear the establishment code EST 2083 and were produced Dec. 16, leading to concerns that some consumers could have the products in their freezers or refrigerators, the agency said.

The products were also shipped to distributors in California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana and Pennsylvania, the agency said. Consumers who purchased the beef were advised to throw it away or return it to the place of purchase.

Consumers with questions about the recall can contact Jeremy Anderson, CEO of Mountain West, at 208-679-3765 or info@mountainwestfoodgroup.com.

Infection by E. coli O26 typically causes vomiting and diarrhea the agency said. Although most people infected by the pathogen recover in a week or less, in rare instances, it lead to a more severe infection.

In June, packages of Organic Rancher Organic Ground Beef sold at Whole Foods Market locations nationwide were recalled over concerns around E. coli O157:H7 contamination, according to an FSIS news release.

The number of food recalls overseen by the Food Safety and Inspection Service during the first nine months of 2025 was up by 7%, to 30, compared to the same period in 2024, according to an analysis by Indianapolis-based Sedgwick Brand Protection.

The number of food recalls overseen by the Food and Drug Administration in the first nine months of 2025 was up by 14%, to 415, compared to the same period in 2024, according to the Sedgwick analysis,as reported by industry journal Food Safety News.