Eleven people have been hospitalized following an E. coli outbreak which has been linked to burgers consumed in restaurants in four states, according to reports.

Wolverine Packing Company, based in Detroit, is announcing the recall of about 1.8 million pounds of beef products. The items were for restaurants in Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri and Ohio, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the USDA said.

In order to protect yourself from E. Coli, food must be well cooked. Experts warn even getting your burger cooked "medium " is not sufficient to kill E. coli. d. Ask the server for burgers cooked to 160 degrees, specifically, said Ben Chapman, a food safety professor at North Carolina State University. Just specifying "medium well" could get you anything from 145 degrees to 170 degrees.

The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service also recommend refrigerating raw meat within two hours after purchase or within one hour if temperatures exceed 90° F. Also, store ground beef in a refrigerator set at 40° F or below, and cook or freeze it within one or two days of purchase.

"This is an infection that can be followed with an illness characterized by bleeding and kidney failure that can be fatal," warns Dr. William Schaffner, former president of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.

The products subject to recall bear the establishment number "EST. 2574B" and will have a production date code in the format "Packing Nos: MM DD 14" between "03 31 14" and "04 18 14". These products were shipped to distributors for restaurant use in Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio.