A dangerous foodborne bacteria has been traced to a popular restaurant chain, and federal officials are now urging customers in California, Texas, and Florida who ate at The Kebab Shop to be alert for signs of serious illness. On May 24, 2026, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a public health alertconfirming that beef kofta products served at the restaurant chain may be contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7, a strain that can cause severe illness and, in some cases, life-threatening kidney failure.

The outbreak gained clarity on June 1, 2026, when whole genome sequencing by the FSIS confirmed that beef kofta samples from Olympia Food Industries, Inc. of Franklin Park, Illinois, matched the outbreak strain. The restaurant chain voluntarily stopped selling beef kofta at all of its locations on May 18, 2026 — a move that came only after customers began reporting illness.

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What Investigators Found and Who May Be Affected

The contaminated beef kofta was produced by Olympia Food Industries on January 6, 2026, and distributed to Kebab Shop locations in California, Texas, and Florida. The FSIS is coordinating with the California Department of Public Healthand local health departments on the investigation. No formal recall was issued because the product is no longer available for purchase — but that does not mean the risk to those previously exposed has passed.

Customers who ate beef kofta at any Kebab Shop location in California, Texas, or Florida in the weeks before May 18, 2026, should monitor themselves for symptoms including bloody diarrhea, severe stomach cramps, nausea, and vomiting. Symptoms of E. coli O157:H7 infection typically appear 3 to 4 days after exposure but can take up to 10 days.

The Risk of Kidney Failure — Especially in Children and Older Adults

While most healthy adults recover without treatment within 5 to 7 days, E. coli O157:H7 can trigger a life-threatening complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which causes kidney failure. According to the CDC, about 5 to 10 percent of people diagnosed with E. coli O157:H7 infection develop HUS. Children under 5, adults over 65, and people with weakened immune systems are most vulnerable.

Anyone experiencing bloody diarrhea, reduced urination, or extreme fatigue in the days or weeks following a Kebab Shop visit should go to an emergency room immediately and inform their doctor about the possible exposure. Do not take anti-diarrheal medications — these can make E. coli illness worse by slowing the removal of toxins from the body.

The fact that the contaminated beef was produced in January 2026, yet the public health alert was not issued until May 24 — more than four months later — raises important questions about the speed of the federal food safety surveillance system. Faster traceback and earlier consumer notification can significantly reduce the number of people who are harmed in foodborne outbreaks.