At least 30 supermarket sandwiches, wraps and salads have been recalled for health reasons.
Food safety agencies have placed a “do not eat” alert on products manufactured by Greencore.
It is feared that some batches of products sold in seven different stores may be contaminated with E.coli.
The insect, which can kill, often causes fever, nausea and diarrhea. Their symptoms usually go away naturally within a few days.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) issued the alert.
Symptoms of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli include severe diarrhea and vomiting, according to the UK Health Safety Agency.
It comes as the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) revealed last week that more than 100 Britons had been affected by Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), a rare strain of the virus that causes diarrhoea.
At the time, the UKHSA said it believes the cases are linked to a “nationally distributed food” or “multiple foods” and said they were investigating the cause.
Two-thirds of people known to have been infected by the bacteria in England became so seriously ill that they needed hospital care.
Victims include children as young as two years old, although the majority are young adults.
UKHSA said a total of 113 cases were recorded between May 25 and June 4, but more are expected.
Of these, 81 were in England, 18 in Wales and 13 in Scotland.
Only one case has been recorded in Northern Ireland, although authorities say this individual probably contracted the virus in England.
STEC is primarily spread by eating contaminated foods, such as raw vegetables that have not been washed or stored properly or undercooked meat.
The 113 confirmed cases of E. coli are spread across the UK, leading officials to believe it was caused by a nationally distributed food.
It can also be transmitted by touching infected animals or their feces, either directly or through contaminated water.
People can also spread the virus through direct content, such as caring for a child who is sick and then touching their face and mouth without properly washing their hands.
One of those hospitalized with serious symptoms was former golf course director Christopher Holmes, 76.
He was admitted to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate, Kent, with diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach cramps.
Doctors were initially baffled about the cause of his symptoms, but subsequent tests showed he had contracted STEC E. coli and he was moved to an isolation ward.
His daughter Lea, 54, from Deal, Kent, said: ‘It’s been horrible. We don’t know what caused it.
‘He doesn’t eat red meat or fish and, in general, he doesn’t eat much. He is very hygienic and always cooks things well.
‘The only thing he thought it could have been was salad. She ate a lot of salads before she got sick.
‘He has been eating jellies, ice cream and soups for the last few days. It’s all been pretty overwhelming for him.
He added that doctors hope to discharge his father in the coming days, once the infection has passed.
Food safety lecturer Nicola Holden said people should maintain good hygiene in the kitchen and take extra care when barbecuing during hot weather.
“It’s a particularly nasty variant of E. coli and we have a high rate of hospitalisation,” he told Radio 4’s Today programme.
‘What people can do is make sure they are very vigilant about handwashing and follow the advice of food standards agencies on how to keep their food safe and good hygiene in the kitchen.
‘We are approaching barbecue season. People should make sure beef burgers are cooked well and not raw in the middle, for example.’
