A public health alert is being issued for Organic Rancher Ground Beef that was sold at Whole Foods stores because it may be contaminated with foreign material in the form of hard plastic pieces. This poses a choking and mouth injury hazard. A recall was not requested because these products are no longer available for purchase. No reports of adverse reactions have been reported to the company to date in connection with this issue.
The Organic Rancher ground beef was produced on April 20, 2022. The recalled items include 16-ounce vacuum-sealed packages that contain Organic Rancher Organic Ground Beef 93% Lean 7% Fat. The use by date for this product is 5-18-2022. Also recalled is 16-ounce vacuum-sealed packages that contain Organic Rancher Organic Ground Beef 85% Lean 15% Fat. The use by date for that product is 5-18-2022. You can see pictures of product labels at the USDA web site.
These items have the establishment number “EST. 4027” inside the USDA mark of inspection. The ground beef was sold at Whole Foods stores nationwide.
The company discovered the problem after they received complaints from consumers that they found hard, rigid plastic in the ground beef. FSIS thinks that these products may be in consumers’ home refrigerators or freezers.
Please check your fridge and freezer to see if you have these items. If you do, do not eat them. You can throw them away after first double bagging them, in a secure trash can with a tight lid, or you can take them back to the store where you purchased them for a full refund.
