Organic Ground Beef from Whole Foods Could Contain Plastic Fragments
Be careful!
The US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) branch has issued a public health alert because of customer complaints surrounding hard plastic found in Whole Foods brand organic ground beef.
Although FSIS is not requesting a recall because the raw organic ground beef is no longer available for purchase, the government agency is concerned that the product may be in consumers' refrigerators or freezers. These products have been shipped to Whole Foods locations nationwide and have a use-by date of May 18.
The ground beef products were produced on April 20, 2022. According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the problem was discovered after the firm received complaints from consumers reporting they found hard, rigid plastic in the ground beef products.
If you recently purchased organic ground beef from Whole Foods, take a look at the packaging here, and keep an eye out for the following:
- 16-oz. vacuum-sealed packages containing "Organic Rancher Organic Ground Beef 93% Lean 7% Fat" with a use-by date of 5-18-2022
- 16-oz. vacuum-sealed packages containing "Organic Rancher Organic Ground Beef 85% Lean 15% Fat" with a use-by date of 5-18-2022
Consumers will also want to keep an eye out for products with the establishment number "EST. 4027" inside the USDA mark of inspection.
Luckily, there haven't been any illnesses linked to the contaminated ground beef. Customers with any questions can head to Ask USDA or email the government agency directly at MPHotline@usda.gov.