Where’s the Beef? Recalled.

Think back. Did you purchase ground beef at Whole Foods, between June 2 and August 6? If so, Whole Foods will not have had a chance to recall that burger in time, you should toss it out, and ask for a refund.

Just last month, this company, Nebraska Beef recalled over 5 million pounds of beef that the company released between May 16 and June 26. Why? A federal investigation determined that their processing practices led to an E. coli outbreak in several states. To make matters worse, on Friday the company decided to recall an additional 1.2 million pounds of beef that they produced on June 17, June 14 and July 8.

Already, their meat has been linked to illnesses in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illlinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia (as reported by the Associated Press).

E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration, and in the most severe cases, kidney failure. The very young, seniors and persons with weak immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness.

The CDC estimates that the E. bacterium sickens more than 70,000 people and kills more than 60 every year in the United States.