Beef Sold At GA Whole Foods Stores Could Contain Plastic: USDA

GEORGIA — One brand of ground beef sold at Whole Food stores in Georgia may come with a hazard, according to federal officials, who issued an alert this week about the product.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service put out the public health alert because of concerns that the beef could contain hard plastic.

The products have the establishment number "Est. 4027" inside the USDA mark of inspection, and were shipped to Whole Foods Market locations nationwide.

The problem was discovered amid complaints from consumers reporting they found hard, rigid plastic in the ground beef.

A recall was not requested because the products are no longer available for purchase, but could be in consumers' freezers.

The beef was produced April 20. The following products are subject to the health alert:

• 16-ounce vacuum-sealed packages containing "Organic Rancher Organic Ground Beef 93 Percent Lean 7 Percent Fat" with a use-by date of May 18;
• 16-ounce vacuum-sealed packages containing "Organic Rancher Organic Ground Beef 85 Percent Lean 15 Percent Fat" with a use-by date of May 18.

There have been no confirmed reports of illness or adverse reactions due to consumption of the products. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a health care provider, federal officials said.

The inspection service is concerned the products may still be in people's refrigerators or freezers.

"Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them," the service said on its website. "These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase."

Anyone with questions about the public health alert can contact Adam Bushell, quality assurance manager at NPC Processing Inc., at adamb@npcprocessing.com.

Those with food safety questions can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-674-6854 or live chat via Ask USDA from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST Monday through Friday.

Consumers can also browse food safety messages at Ask USDA or email MPHotline@usda.gov.

To report a problem with a meat, poultry, or egg product, the Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System is available 24 hours a day at foodcomplaint.fsis.usda.gov/eCCF.