Yesterday, the Dept. of Agriculture's Food Safety & Inspection Service announced two separate recalls -- one in California and one in New York -- totaling nearly 40,000 pounds of ground beef after learning that the batches of meat could have been contaminated with the E. coli bacteria.

Both recalls have are considered Class I hazards by FSIS, meaning "there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death."