Beef Recall 2013: 58,000 Pounds Of Ground Beef Recalled After Plastic Found In National School Lunch Program Meat

Forget French fries, some students across the U.S. were almost served a school lunch containing a side of plastic.

According to a report from Food Safety News Thursday, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a recall for 58,000 pounds of ground beef from California’s Central Valley Meat Company this week after the meat was found to possible contain plastic. According to the report, the potentially defective meat was distributed to four states across the U.S. with intentions of serving it to children that utilize the National School Lunch Program.

The recall, which was reportedly issued after receiving customer complaints that the products contained “forgein materials” following shipments to Arkansas, California, Montana and Texas, has resulted in two case codes of “Fine Ground Beef.” The recalled products, "40-lb. cases containing 10-lb. chubs” with the establishment number "Est. 6063A" and case codes 6063A3091A and 6063A3091B, are included.

Despite issuing the recall the Central Valley Meat Company alongside the FSIS, no reports of illness or injuries in connection to consuming the small plastic particles have have reportedly occurred. For more information customers can contact Brian Coelho, the general manager of Central Valley by calling: 559- 583-9624, or the USDA Meat and Poultry hotline at: 1-888-674-6854.

According to the Food Safety News, this isn’t the first time the West Coast meat company has been under fire in relation to the National School Lunch Program. The USDA reportedly barred the meat processors from serving to students in 2012 after clips of the animals being abused prior to slaughter surfaced. NPR reported in Aug. 2012 that the cows were hit with electric prods in clips obtained by animal rights activists, therefore breaking a regulation that doesn’t allow sick animals to be utilized for the nation’s meat supply.