Today in the news, I see we have had another recall on food – this time it's ground beef from a farm in upstate NY. The CDC called for this recall after 16 people were sent to the hospital, and 2 others died, from suspected E. coli contamination.

The contaminated meat was shipped to several markets from Maine to North Carolina, and was packaged in various ways, such as meatballs, hamburgers, and combination mixes, as well as re-marketed for sale in different packaging and under different brands.

E. coli can cause a variety of symptoms, such as severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, and in some cases, severe blood and kidney problems. Some of the symptoms are common to other illnesses, so if you're concerned, check with your doctor.

Make sure if you buy any fresh or frozen foods, you store and prepare them according to package directions, and always wash your hands and cooking utensils thoroughly after handling and preparing food.

For more on today's hottest stories, check out our top searched list. What other big stories happened today? Let us know! Come back for tomorrow's Hot Searches and follow us on Twitter and Facebook for daily updates.

Hot Searches for November 3, 2009
1. Alan Ogg – Former NBA player dies at 42 from Staph infections
2. USS New York - Steel from the World Trade center was used to build ship
3. Beef Recall – Suspected E Coli triggers recall of 546,000 lbs of ground beef
4. CIT group – Looking to borrow $500 million to block lender's demands
5. Scott Rothstein – Firm seeks to end partnership over missing funds
6. World Series Score – Phillies still in with a 8-6 win in Game 5
7. GMAC – Looking to government for an additional $5.6 billion
8. Brandon Spikes – Video shows Spikes trying to gouge Georgia Gator's eye
9. Wal-Mart – Received final approval on wage and hour violations
10. Utley – Ties Reggie Jackson's record for home runs

More: safe food handling, frozen meat, cooking meat, food safety temperature, freezing food, food safety guidelines