( CNN ) -- Check your ground beef before you grill out this Memorial Day weekend . The USDA 's Food Safety and Inspection Service says stores in nine states may have received beef contaminated with E. coli O157 : H7 . The service announced this week that 1.8 million pounds of ground beef products were being recalled because they could be contaminated . The federal agency has since named retailers that may have received the tainted products . Some are as follows : . • Gordon Food Service Marketplace stores in Florida , Illinois , Indiana , Kentucky , Michigan , Ohio , Pennsylvania , Tennessee and Wisconsin . • Giorgio 's Italian Delicatessen in Stuart , Florida . • M Sixty Six General Store in Orleans , Michigan . • Buchtel Food Mart in Buchtel , Ohio . What government tests found in your meat . A representative for the U.S. Department of Agriculture said the meat is being removed from store shelves . But consumers should return or throw out meat that has the code EST.2574B and a production date between March 31 and April 18 , 2014 . The ground beef is sold under a variety of labels , according to the USDA , but comes from Wolverine Packing Co. in Detroit . `` While none of the Wolverine Packing product has tested positive for the pathogen implicated in this outbreak , the company felt it was prudent to take this voluntary recall action in response to the illnesses and initial outbreak investigation findings , '' Chuck Sanger , a spokesman for Wolverine Packing , said in a statement . Eleven people across four states are suspected to have been sickened by the product , according to the USDA . Ten of those people were sickened after eating at restaurants that received contaminated meat . But federal officials say regulations prohibit them from naming those restaurants . `` People who were exposed were already exposed , so it does n't help the public to tell them now that a certain restaurant was associated with these illnesses , '' said David Goldman , assistant administrator for the Office of Public Health Science at the USDA . `` Our job really is to identify product that may still be available . '' According to what officials received from the company , he said , the meat went to many states . `` The number changes . Yesterday , it was on the order of nearly 40 states , but we do n't -- that number changes . That 's part of the process too , is to identify where the food -- the meat in this case -- was actually distributed , '' Goldman said . A list of stores released Wednesday is not final , a Food Safety and Inspection Service representative said . More establishments will be added as the USDA continues its investigation . The recall was categorized by the Food Safety and Inspection Service as `` Class I '' : a health hazard situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious , adverse health consequences or death . E. coli is a large group of bacteria that live in the intestines of people and animals , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Certain strains cause gastrointestinal illness in humans , with symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhea . An estimated 265,000 infections occur in the United States each year , the CDC says . People usually get sick three to four days after ingesting the bacteria and recover on their own . Young children , pregnant women , the elderly and people who have weakened immune systems ( like cancer or HIV patients ) are at greater risk for severe illness and death . The best way to avoid getting sick is by washing hands frequently when preparing food and avoiding cross-contamination by washing cutting boards , counters and utensils with hot , soapy water . Properly washing hands after using the bathroom and after coming into contact with animals or being in their environments -- anywhere there may be traces of feces -- also helps . Cooking meats thoroughly to at least 160°F or 70˚C kills the bacteria and prevents infection as well . Using a meat thermometer will most accurately help you determine that the food is thoroughly cooked . Eatocracy : Do n't get sick from your picnic . Food Safety and Inspection Service officials said in a news release that the agency is continuing to work with state and federal public health partners on the investigation and provide updated information as it becomes available . After CNN exclusive , USDA probing 'personnel issues ' in meat recall . How 9 million pounds of bad meat escaped into the food supply . Food safety tips from a pro . CNN 's Chris Frates , David Fitzpatrick , Jacque Wilson , Miriam Falco , Elizabeth Cohen , William Hudson and Stephanie Smith contributed to this report .
A list of retailers is not final , a representative says . 1.8 million pounds of beef recalled for E. coli risk . Recalled cases were from Wolverine Packing Co. Food Safety and Inspection Service identifies stores in nine states .