Over 100 US retailers believed to have recalled meatballs

Over 60,000 pounds (lb) of beef products, including meatballs, have been recalled by the Washington-based meat producer in two recalls stretching back to 9 March 2017.

The US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said on 28 March that 112 retailers across 13 US states might be have received the ground beef products that contain metal fragments.

A 14-page document published by FSIS lists every retail outfit believed to have received the recalled meat products. States implicated in the recall are Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.

‘High’ health risk

In addition to retail sites, some of the products have been shipped to US Department of Defence facilities nationwide.

In total, Kings Command Foods is recalling roughly 63,252lb – or 28 tonnes (t) – of beef products that may contain metal fragments.

The scope of the recall includes 37,114lb of ready-to-eat beef products FSIS claimed were associated with “extraneous material contamination”. This was issued on Friday 17 March.

The first recall was issued on 9 March 2017, after King’s Command Foods recalled 26,138lb of ground beef products.

While there have been no confirmed reports of injuries or adverse reactions due to consumption of these products, FSIS has classified the health risk as “high”.

Kings Command Foods could not be reached for comment at the time of writing.