MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (AP) -- The Sam's Club warehouse chain has pulled a brand of ground beef patties from its shelves nationwide after four children who ate the food, produced by Cargill Inc., developed E. coli illness.
Cargill on Friday asked customers to return any remaining patties purchased after August 26 to the store or destroy them.
The children became ill between September 10 and September 20 after eating ground beef patties that were bought frozen under the name American Chef's Selection Angus Beef Patties from three Sam's Club stores in the Twin Cities area.
Sam's Club voluntarily removed the product from its stores nationwide after the illnesses were reported, the company said.
"We can't be certain that meat from other stores is not involved, since the brand ... was likely sold at other Sam's Club locations," said Heidi Kassenborg, acting director of the dairy and food inspection division of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
Cargill, based in Wayzata, Minnesota, is one of the nation's largest privately held companies and makes food ingredients, moves commodities around the world and runs financial commodities trading businesses.
The patties were produced by Cargill and had an expiration date of February 12, 2008, Sam's Club said in a statement. They were coded UPC 0002874907056 Item 700141.
A Cargill spokesman said the company would have no comment until Monday.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to determine the source of the contamination.
Two of the children were hospitalized; one remains in the hospital and the other has been discharged, the Health Department said.
Symptoms of E. coli illness include stomach cramps and diarrhea. People typically are ill for two to five days but can develop complications including kidney failure. People who have developed such symptoms should contact their doctor, the Health Department said.
Sam's Club warehouse is owned by Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, based in Bentonville, Arkansas. E-mail to a friend
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All About E. Coli • Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
Sam's Club Lerdo.
Sam's Club warehouse stores across the United States are recalling a brand of ground beef patties made by Cargill Inc., following reports that four children who ate the patties became sick with ''E. coli''.

Consumers who bought the patties after August 26, 2007 are asked to either return them to the store they bought them from or destroy them.

The four children who became ill sometime between September 10 and September 20 were reportedly sickened by frozen American Chef's Selection Angus Beef Patties bought at three different Sam's Club stores in Minnesota.

Scanning electron micrograph of ''Escherichia coli''.
Heidi Kassenborg, the director of the dairy and food inspection division of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture said, "We can't be certain that meat from other stores is not involved, since the brand ... was likely sold at other Sam's Club locations."

Therefore, Sam's Club has voluntarily issued the recall across stores nationwide.

A statement released by Sam's Club said that the recalled patties have expiration date of February 12, 2008 listed on the packages, and were coded UPC 0002874907056 Item 700141.

Cargill Inc. is expected to release a statement on Monday.