The Bacteria Behind Ground Beef and Walnut Recalls. The news of food recalls brought on by Escherichia coli, or E. coli, contamination has been all over the media in recent years. This common bacteria has been linked to a number of foodborne diseases, raising consumer fears and causing health officials to respond quickly. In order to protect the public's health, we will examine the features, sources, hazards, and preventative methods of Escherichia coli in detail in this article.