Central Valley Meat expands ground beef recall over foreign material concerns

Central Valley Meat Company, based in California, US, has expanded its recall to include approximately 89,720lbs of ground beef that may contain small pieces of plastic.

The product subject to the expanded recall is 40lb cases containing 10lb chubs of ‘Fine Ground Beef’.

The affected product was produced on 23 July 2013 and shipped to distribution centres in Arkansas, Nebraska, and North Carolina for use by the National School Lunch Program.

It features the establishment number ‘Est. 6063A’ inside the USDA mark of inspection and can be further identified by case code ‘6063A3204A’, ‘6063A3204B’ or ‘6063A3204C’.

The US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) identified the problem during an on-going product investigation.

The agency and Central Valley Meat have received no consumer complaints of illnesses associated with these products, and have advised those concerned about illness to contact a healthcare provider.

Classified as class III, the recall indicates a situation where the use of the product will not cause adverse health consequences.

The latest recall comes a month after Central Valley Meat initiated a recall of 58,240lbs of ground beef.

The company retrieved ground beef that was delivered to 78 Idaho school districts between 2 July and 6 September.

In 2012, it was suspended from supplying meat to the USDA’s National School Lunch Program after a video depicting animal cruelty at the company was posted online.

FSIS regularly conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify that recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers.