A family-operated business in Honolulu is recalling 4,100 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.

The ground beef was distributed to Oahu restaurants by Higa Meat & Pork Market, doing business as Higa Foodservice. During a routine inspection on Oct. 17, the Department of Agriculture and Food Safety and Inspection Service discovered the beef ground that day tested positive for E. coli.

Sheldon Wright, vice president of Higa Foodservice, said, “It was a surprise to us. We are very concerned about it. We never had this in the past.”

“We’re taking immediate steps to address this problem” he said, adding that the company is in the process of bringing the affected ground beef back to the company to be destroyed.

The company is recalling the product, 10-pound bags of “Higa Market-Ground Beef Bulk,” from restaurants.

E. coli is a potentially dangerous bacteria that can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration in most severe cases, kidney, failure, said the Food Safety and Inspection Service. “The very young, seniors and persons with weak immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness,” the agency said.

Wright and the Department of Health said they have not received any complaints of illnesses related to this product.