30,000 Pounds of Potentially Contaminated Ground Beef Have Been Recalled

Joseph Lamour
Joseph Lamour
Joseph is an accomplished writer, arts multi-hyphenate, and prodigious snacker. Ever the creative, Joe hopes to combine his love of writing and the arts with his deep love of food, particularly dishes and traditions inspired by his Haitian heritage.
updated May 30, 2019
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If it seems like a company in the grocery industry is recalling their product every month, you’re not far off. Right after a report about the massive beef recall that claimed 12 million pounds of beef surfaced in November 2018, another recall of turkey meat was issued in late December.

After that, pet food seemed to have a rough go of things, with recalls of A+ Answers Straight Beef Formula for Dogs and turkey-based pet food Woody’s Pet Food Deli and Raws for Paws issued in January and February. Now, here in March, we’re back to beef, as a popular company in the Pacific Northwest has to deal with their own recall.

On March 2, 2019, the USDA released an Investigation Notice detailing that Washington Beef LLC, a Yakima County, Washington-based beef company, is recalling approximately 30,260 pounds of ground beef chubs products that may be contaminated with extraneous materials.

While the last beef recall was due to a salmonella contamination, this time it appears to be man-made materials — hard plastic and metal — that have made it into Washington Beef’s products. This is classified as a Class I recall, which means the USDA believes consuming this product could cause serious injury or death if it truly is contaminated.

The recalled beef was produced on December 27 and has a “use or freeze by” date of January 20, 2019. The USDA has conveniently provided sample labeling for all the products involved. As always, officials are worried consumers might have stored some of this beef and it’s currently in their freezers, so take a quick peek at your freezer now before this recall news is a distant memory.

Consumers are urged to look for packages that have the establishment number “EST. 235” inside the USDA mark of inspection.

Here’s a full list of the products being recalled in this most current investigation notice.

  • Double R Ranch 100% ground beef 1 lb. 90% lean/10% fat
  • Double R Ranch 100% ground beef 1 lb. 85% lean/15% fat
  • St. Helens 100% ground beef 1 lb. 90% lean/10 % fat
  • St. Helens 100% ground beef 1 lb. 85% lean/15% fat
  • St. Helens 100% ground beef 1 lb. 80% lean/20% fat
  • St. Helens 100% ground beef 3 lb. 90% lean/10% fat
  • St. Helens 100% ground beef 3 lb. 85% lean/15% fat
  • St. Helens 100% ground beef 3 lb. 80% lean/20% fat
  • St. Helens 100% ground beef 3 lb. 71% lean/27% fat
  • Double R Ranch course ground beef chubs 10 lb. 80/20 (for institutional use only)
  • SRF American wagyu beef fine ground beef chubs
  • Beef boneless ground chuck blend smoked

To read the full details of the Washington Beef LLC recall, and to find numbers to contact the CDC if you have questions, please go to the USDA’s recall website.

Filed in:
Food Safety