The U.S Department for Agriculture has announced that a supplier for Kroger Co (NYSE:KR) has recalled over 35,000 pounds of ground beef as a results of plastic contamination.
According to a statement issued by the Department, the problem was discovered after a consumed filed a complaint. The consumer found pieces of blue plastic in the meat. The department however said that they have not received any reports of diverse reaction caused by the contamination.
In a statement, a spokesperson from Kroger indicated that the company has confirmed that the contaminated product is no longer on the shelves. He added that the chain has advised customers not to consume any potentially contaminated product but instead return them back for a refund.
According to USDA, the affected beef was produced on March 22, 2018 and are packaged in a pack numbered “EST. 34176” inside the USDA mark of inspection. The beef was sent to distributors in Indiana and Virginia and was meant to be delivered to retail stores in eastern West Virginia, Illinois, Virginia, Indiana and North Carolina plus Jay C and Food 4 Less in Midwest.
Some of the brands affected by the contamination are Ground Beef Angus Sirloin, JBS Ground Beef Angus Chuck, Private Selection Angus Beef, All Natural Laura’s Lean Beef and certain types of Kroger Ground Beef. The full list of the affected products plus their codes is available on the recall page of the USDA.
The USDA has raised concerns that many consumers have stored the contaminated products and intended to consume them at a later date. The department has advised consumers to toss out the beef packages or take them back.
The meat was supplied by JBS USA, Inc which is based in Colorado and which specializes in livestock feeding and meat processing. The company has recalled all the raw ground meat from its Lenoir, North Carolina facility.
The Mid-Atlantic division of Kroger which has retail stores in Virginia, eastern West Virginia and North Carolina reportedly received part of the contaminated beef.