Nebraska Beef Ltd. announced its decision to expand its already massive meat recall to 5.3 million pounds, which represents all the meat that the company produced between May 16 and June 26.

The measure was considered mandatory as soon as a federal investigation reached the conclusion that the products released by Nebraska Beef led to an E. coli illness outbreak which affected 41 people in Ohio and Michigan.

The investigation was conducted by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, which stated that the outbreak happened because of some production practices held under insanitary conditions. Apparently, the company’s efforts to ensure a properly clean production process were insufficient, at least against the E. coli bacteria.

The investigators managed to trace the infected meat to the company as soon as two samples taken from two processing plants which collaborated with Nebraska Beef tested positive for E. coli.

The outbreak incident is being treated with great consideration by the country’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as recent reports show that the coli E. bacteria sickens more than 70,000 people and kills more than 60 every year in the United States. The biggest danger for the people exposed to the virus is encountered by the ones with weak immune systems, such as infants and the elderly.

So far, 22 people have been hospitalized as a result of E. coli infections since its identification on May 30 and all were successfully treated. The first symptoms for the disease include stomach cramps and diarrhea but it can get a whole lot worse, depending on the treatment chosen and the time before starting it.