South American beef imported to the U.S. under the label ‘Organic Rancher’ organic ground beef, packaged on April 20, 2022, may contain bits of hard plastic, according to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announcement.
Shipped to Whole Foods locations across the country, the 16-oz. vacuum-sealed packages containing 93% lean ground beef and 85% lean ground beef, both with use by date of May 18 could contain the pieces of the rigid plastic. Products also bear “EST. 4027” inside the USDA inspection mark.
No recall has been requested because the products are no longer available for purchase.
According to beef company, Organic Rancher, owner of Organic Rancher organic ground beef, claims their livestock are “born, raised, and harvested in Uruguay or Argentina on open, grassy pastures.”
Their beef also receives the stamp of Global Animal Partnership (G.A.P.) Step 4 Certification.
Under current import requirements, beef is allowed for import from Uruguay in raw, ready-to-eat and not-ready-to-eat shelf stable products. Raw beef is also eligible for import from Argentina, according to USDA-FSIS.
