A few customers have reached out to us with questions about the May 22nd announcement by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) regarding an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to ground beef (beef kofta) served at The Kebab Shop in California. This product was sourced from a single supplier and has since been removed from our menu.
We want to share our answers to these FAQs so that everyone has the same information.
Your health and peace of mind are our top priorities. If the FAQs do not address your concern, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Our customer service team is available at
888-965-5821 from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. PT, Monday through Friday. You can also email us at FoodSafety@thekebabshop.com.
Frequently Asked Questions and the Answers
(as of May 25, 2026)
The Investigation and Our Response
Q. What is the source of the contamination?
Ground beef (beef kofta) supplied to us by Olympia Foods was contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 as confirmed through testing by the USDA. CDPH and USDA investigations are ongoing.
Q. Is The Kebab Shop still selling the ground beef (beef kofta) from Olympia Foods?
No, on May 18, 2026, we voluntarily removed it from our menu at all locations and no longer receive it from Olympia Foods or any other supplier.
Q. Are any other menu items affected?
The CDPH and USDA have only implicated the ground beef (beef kofta) supplied to us by Olympia Foods in their investigations.
Q. Is there an ongoing risk to public health?
No, there has been no risk exposure to the public since May 18, 2026, when we halted all sales of ground beef (beef kofta) in coordination with the CDPH and USDA, with whom we have been actively working.
Q. Is it safe to eat at The Kebab Shop?
Yes, it is safe to eat at all TKS locations because: 1) we have stopped serving the ground beef (beef kofta) at all locations; and 2) all of our locations have been found to be compliant with all applicable health and safety laws, including those re-inspected as a result of the outbreak.
Q. Does Olympia Foods source any other protein products at The Kebab Shop?
No, we have always used different suppliers for our sirloin steak, chicken, and lamb & beef gyro.
Q. When you found out about the problem, what did you do to reduce the risk to your customers?
On May 18, 2026, the CDPH informed us that our ground beef (beef kofta) protein may be linked to an outbreak of E. coli cases in California. We immediately stopped all sales of ground beef (beef kofta) across all locations while the CDPH and USDA continued to investigate the food source of the outbreak. During this investigation, the CDPH and local health authorities found The Kebab Shop to be in compliance with all health and safety regulations. We terminated our relationship with the ground beef (beef kofta) supplier, Olympia Foods, and continue to cooperate fully with the CDPH and USDA in their investigations.
Q. What are you doing to ensure this doesn’t happen again?
We are strengthening supplier controls and reviewing and re-assessing employee training and in-house protocols. We will not put ground beef (beef kofta) back on the menu until health officials and our internal investigation team are convinced that any potential issues have been resolved.
The Outbreak
Q. What states are involved in the outbreak?
No illnesses have been reported outside of California. The lead investigating agency, CDPH, has stated there is no ongoing risk to consumers because the product is no longer available in any TKS restaurant location nationwide.
Q. If there is no ongoing risk, might the number of illnesses linked to the outbreak increase?
It is possible that customers who consumed the ground beef (beef kofta) prior to May 19th may be added to the outbreak through genetic testing of the E. coli organism. It can take several weeks for public health officials to detect and confirm the particular strain of E. coli involved. There is no ongoing risk to consumers as we stopped selling the implicated ground beef (beef kofta) on May 18th.
E.Coli O157:H7
Q. Where did the contamination come from?
Ground beef (beef kofta) supplied to us by Olympia Foods was contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 as confirmed through testing by the USDA. CDPH and USDA investigations are ongoing.
Q. What are the symptoms of E. coli O157:H7 infection?
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Escherichia coli O157:H7 bacteria (E. Coli O157:H7) commonly causes a diarrheal illness, often with watery or bloody stools. Although most healthy adults can recover completely within a week, some people can develop a form of kidney failure called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). HUS is most likely to occur in young children and the elderly.
Q. How long after consumption might symptoms begin?
According to health officials, symptoms may occur most frequently one to four days after consumption, but that period can be as long as 10 days.