HelloFresh Meal Kit Ground Beef Possibly Contaminated With E. Coli

WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Department of Agriculture is warning consumers after the agency learned that ground beef included in some HelloFresh meal kits could possibly be contaminated with E. coli.

Multiple E. coli infections may be linked to the beef in question, officials with the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service said in a notice. However, it's unclear how many people were sickened.

The kits containing the ground beef were shipped from July 2 to 21, according to officials. The ground beef came in a 10-0unce package with the label "EST. 46841" next to the USDA mark of inspection. The sides of the packages contained one of two codes: EST#46841 L1 22 155 or EST#46841 L5 22 155.

Anyone who received the kit and still has the ground beef in their freezers should throw it away.

A HelloFresh spokesperson told NBC News the alert "affects a very small portion of HelloFresh customers in the U.S. who received ground beef from one specific supplier."

"The USDA issued a public health alert out of an abundance of caution. We are closely partnering with the USDA and the supplier in question," the spokesperson said.

E. coli bacteria are usually harmless and actually are an important part of a healthy human intestinal tract, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, some E. coli are pathogenic, meaning they cause illness.

Symptoms of E. coli infection include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody) and vomiting.