More Than 93,000 Pounds of Meat Has Been Recalled Across Multiple States—Here's What You Need to Know
Raw Beef
The last thing anyone wants to taste when biting into a juicy cut of freshly seared steak is something out of the ordinary. The unfortunate truth, however, is that contaminants find their ways into our food more than the average consumer would like to know. Food contamination is a byproduct of the way we mass-produce and process food in this country, and a reality that companies deal with on a daily basis.
Last week, the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced a recall of nearly 93,277 pounds of raw meat products from MF Meats, a Falconer, New York establishment. The recall came following four separate complaints from restaurants citing reports of a chemical taste in the brand’s meat products. The foul taste has been determined to be a result of the firm’s mineral oil supplier sending a drum containing non-food grade mineral seal oil labeled as food grade mineral oil. Non-food grade mineral seal oil specifically is not approved for use in meat processing.
After conducting an investigation into the contamination, the firm concluded that the non-food grade mineral seal oil had been applied to food contact surfaces but had not made direct contact with meat products. As of now, there have been zero confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to the consumption of the meat products in question, though it is still recommended to seek help from a healthcare provider should a concern of illness present itself.
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The raw meats in question were produced from November 26, 2023 through February 16, 2024 and contain various weights of meat cuts and ground meat. The products have Julian dates of 330-365 (November 26-December 31) and 1-47 (January 1-February 16) printed on the packaging, but consumers can view the full detailed list here.
The meat products were shipped to restaurants in New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania, sparking concern within the FSIS that some products may still be in restaurants’ refrigerators and freezers. Each meat product subject to recall will bear the establishment number “EST. 569” inside of the USDA mark of inspection, which is a good indication to go by when checking if this recall pertains to you. Those who have any of the meat products detailed in the recall are urged to either throw away entirely or return to the place of purchase.
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It is never fun to realize you may have a contaminated food product in your possession. And while it is comforting that organizations like the FSIS exist in these moments of uncertainty, one thing is still very much a big concern. As food prices continue to go up across the board, quality seems to be simultaneously taking a dip for the worse. And as more recalls get announced citing plastics, metals and other contaminants that shouldn't be in your food, it’s hard to imagine a solution to such a large-scale problem.
Consumers and members of the media with questions about the recall can contact Doug Neckers, President of MF Meats, at 716-483-4050 or info@mfmeats.com.
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