Whole genome sequencing has shown that beef kofta samples collected by FSIS and produced at Olympia Food Industries matches the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 among patrons of The Kebab Shop restaurant in California.
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) continues to coordinate with the California Department of Public Health and local health departments in the state on the outbreak investigation.
As of June 1, there were nine confirmed outbreak patients, six of whom are children. Two of the children have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which leads to kidney failure and sometimes brain damage or death.
On May 24 the FSIS issued a public health alert because of concerns that beef kofta products served at The Kebab Shop restaurant locations may be contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O157:H7. A recall was not requested because the products were no longer available for purchase.
The beef kofta was produced as a raw ground beef product by Olympia Food Industries Inc. dba Olympia Foods (Est. 18743) in Franklin Park, IL, on Jan. 6, 2026, and supplied to The Kebab Shop restaurant locations in California, Texas and Florida.
The problem was discovered as part of an ongoing illness outbreak investigation. As of May 24, 2026, illness onset dates had been reported ranging from March 27 to April 30. Because the identified illnesses are limited to California, the state’s health department is leading the investigation with FSIS.
The FSIS collected raw ground beef kofta product samples that tested positive for E. coli O157:H7. The Kebab Shop stopped selling beef kofta at all of its restaurant locations on May 18, 2026.
