The Recall Desk
Agency classPublic Health AlertOur severity:HighUSDA FSIS·PHA-08042023-01·Announced 2023-08-04

USDA Issues Public Health Alert for Raw Beef Due to Plastic Contamination

USDA FSIS issued a public health alert for raw beef products that may contain soft, clear plastic. Consumers are urged not to consume the product.

The agency’s classification

USDA FSIS: Public Health Alert

Public Health Alert is a warning FSIS issues when there is a food-safety concern but a recall is not requested, typically because the affected product is no longer available for purchase.

This is the agency’s own classification, taken from its notice. The severity score below is our assessment, not the agency’s. How recall classes work

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 3/5 (High).

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a risk-of-harm product (foreign matter in raw meat) where injury has not yet been reported, which aligns with the High severity criteria.

Plain-English summary

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a public health alert on August 4, 2023, regarding raw beef products that may be contaminated with extraneous material, specifically soft, clear plastic. The alert was issued because the product is no longer available for purchase, so a formal recall was not requested.

The affected product consists of approximately 1.5-lb. plastic tray packages of “USDA CHOICE BLACK ANGUS BEEF FROM ALDI, BEEF FOR CARNE PICADA.” These packages were produced on July 25, 2023, and bear a “Use or Freeze by” date of August 22, 2023, Julian Date 206, and a time stamp between 08:43 and 09:23. The product bears establishment number Est. 85M and was available in select ALDI grocery stores nationwide.

The issue was discovered when the establishment notified FSIS of a retail complaint regarding soft, clear plastic found in the product. There have been no confirmed reports of injury or illness due to consumption of this product. Consumers who have purchased this product are urged not to consume it and should throw it away or return it to the place of purchase.

The recalled product

Product
FSIS Issues Public Health Alert for Raw Beef Product Due to Possible Foreign Matter Contamination
Brand
Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation
Manufacturer
Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation
Category
Food — Raw Beef
Hazard

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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