If you’ve purchased ground beef in the past month, you’ll want to take note of this news, especially if you shop at Kroger. JBS USA, Inc. has recalled a whopping 35,464 pounds of ground beef products, the USDA announced this week. And while the USDA classifies this instance as a “low” health risk, you’ll still want to check any items in your freezer. According to the recall, the ground beef packages in question may include “extraneous materials, specifically hard plastic.” And no one wants pieces of plastic in their dinner.
How to Know If Your Ground Beef Is Affected
The ground beef packages affected by the recall include options from Kroger, Laura’s Lean Beef, Private Selection angus beef, and JBS ground beef. The recalled products listed on the USDA’s website have sell-by dates of April 9, 2018. If you have a package of meat with that sell-by date hanging out in your freezer, check the USDA website for full information on the recalled ground beef labels. The affected items also say “EST. 34176” under the USDA inspection seal.
Don’t Be Too Worried
Again, the USDA lists the risk from this recall as a “low” one. The amount of meat recalled is alarming, but there haven’t been any confirmed “adverse reactions” to this specific recall.
Get Rid of Any Affected Ground Beef Packages
Even though the USDA hasn’t reported any illnesses from this recall, you still don’t want to keep any meat affected by it. Toss any ground beef that meets the above criteria, or return them to the store. Don’t be afraid of returning to Kroger in the future, though—all affected ground beef has been removed from store shelves.
And if you’d planned on using that ground beef to make dinner, there are plenty of recipes, like this Mediterranean turkey skillet, that would still taste great with ground turkey or ground chicken.