The Food and Drug Administration has issued a recall on 1,642 lbs of ground beef distributed out of North Carolina-based Vantage Foods. Unlike other recent ground meat recalls, this one is designated as a Class III Recall – a label handed out when consumption of the affected food product won’t cause adverse side effects. That’s because the main concern in this incident isn’t E. coli or Salmonella poisoning – rather, this meat is being recalled after consumers found their meat embedded with blue plastic chips.
According to a release from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), Vantage Foods is recalling “2-pound trays of LOWE’S FOODS fresh ground beef 93/7with establishment number ‘EST. 34176’ inside the USDA mark of inspection and a sell by date of 8/29/11 on the label.” FSIS also notes that packages of ground beef in question were released on August 15 and distributed to retail outlets throughout North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.
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On the plus side, FSIS has also reported that they have not yet heard of any negative health consequences stemming from customers ingesting the offending plastic chips. What’s not reported is how blue plastic chips got into the beef in the first place, but at this point all that matters is that the contaminated meat ends up safely back at recall and not in your dinner. Are you in possession of a package of ground beef that could fit the bill for recall? FSIS instructs consumers with questions about the recall to contact John Orgain, spokesperson for Lowe’s Foods, at (828) 725-4444.
