Shoppers in one region should be on alert, according to a company notice.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s recently revised “MyPlate” initiative suggests ground beef can be an overall healthy choice for meal planning, as long as it’s “lean or low-fat”—specifically, 93% lean. For that and three other ground beef products with varying lean points, customers of one regional grocery chain should know of a recall this week.
Food Lion, a supermarket chain with greater than 1,100 store locations across 10 states in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, reported in a February 7 alert that “four varieties of in-store prepared ground beef” were being recalled after the discovery of possible “small pieces of the black rubber plastic gasket” in the meat. The gasket “became dislodged and damaged during the grinding process,” explains the alert.
The recall reportedly only affects meat prepared at one specific Food Lion location: the 11130 Hull Street store in Midlothian, VA. The recalled ground beef was produced on February 6 and marked with a labeled Sell By date of February 8. Though the Sell By date has passed, it’s possible customers may still have it stored in their refrigerators or freezers.
According to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), a “Sell-By” date “tells the store how long to display the product for sale for inventory management” and is not “a safety date.”
The recall includes the following meat types:
- 73% Lean Fresh Ground Beef (all sizes)
- 80% Lean Fresh Ground Chuck (all sizes)
- 85% Lean Fresh Ground Round (all sizes)
- 93% Lean Fresh Ground Beef (all sizes)
Food Lion states there were no injuries or complaints reported as of February 7.
Consumers are warned to not eat the affected meat. Additionally, the chain provided the following refund instructions: “Customers … may return it to this Food Lion store for a refund equal to double the purchase price in accordance with Food Lion’s ‘Double Your Money Back Guarantee.'”
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