17.7 Tons of Ground Beef May Be Contaminated With Plastic

The USDA's food inspection unit wants people to check their freezers for ground beef that may have been contaminated by pieces of hard, blue plastic. A recall notice has been issued for 17.7 tons of ground beef from a batch that ended up at Kroger stores, among other outlets, USA Today reports. The notice was issued after a consumer found plastic in beef, though there've been no reports of adverse reactions, according to the USDA. The recall affects a batch produced by North Carolina producer JBS USA on March 22. It ended up in Kroger stores in states including North Carolina, Virginia, Indiana, Illinois, and West Virginia, as well as at chains including Food 4 Less and JayC in the Midwest.

The affected beef was sold in products including Kroger Ground Beef, Private Selection Angus Beef, Kroger Ground Sirloin, and All Natural Laura's Lean Beef, all with the inspection number "EST. 34176," CNN reports. "We encourage customers to check their freezers for the potentially affected products and not to consume them but throw them away or return them to their place of purchase for a full refund," a Kroger spokeswoman says. A full list of affected products, all with a sell-by date of April 9, can be seen here. (More ground beef stories.)