A Minnesota-based meatpacker has recalled 194,000kg of frozen ground beef on concerns of contamination with the dangerous bacteria E. coli.

Pipestone, Minn.-based Howard Beef Processors sold the meat with the establishment code EST. 8934 under the name Ellison Farms across the nation, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said.

Consumers who have the recalled meat are asked to return it to the store where they purchased it.

E. coli 0157:H7 can cause severe diarrhoea and dehydration. It is fatal in some cases. Children, the elderly and people with weak immune systems are most vulnerable to getting sick from the bacteria.