USDA Issues Alert on Ground Beef Contaminated With Metal—What Shoppers Should Know

Consumers found metal in the food item.

Packaged ground beef on a tray on a cutting board
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  • The USDA issued a public health alert for White Oak Pastures grass-fed ground beef due to possible metal contamination, though no recall was requested because the product is no longer in stores.
  • The affected 1-pound packages were produced on February 26 and distributed to Mom’s Organic Markets across several states, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
  • While no injuries have been reported, consumers are urged not to eat the product and to discard or return it, as metal fragments can cause serious internal and dental injuries.

Check your fridge. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for a ground beef product from White Oak Pastures of Bluffton, Georgia, that may be contaminated with foreign material, specifically metal.

The 16-ounce (1-pound) plastic, vacuum-sealed packages contain ground beef labeled "WHITE OAK PASTURES, RADICALLY TRADITIONAL FARMING, GRASSFED GROUND BEEF." The item was produced on February 26.

The product bears establishment number "EST 34729" inside the USDA mark of inspection and is stamped on the back with "105761 Sell by 03/19/26." This item was shipped to a distributor, as well as Mom's Organic Markets retail locations in Washington, D.C., Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

White Oak Pastures received two complaints from consumers, triggering the alert. The FSIS did not request a recall because the product is no longer available for purchase; however, the agency is concerned that the product may be in consumers' freezers.

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So far, there have been no confirmed reports of injury. Physical contaminants in food can pose serious health hazards to consumers, the FDA states. If accidentally ingested, contaminants such as metal fragments could cause dental damage, laceration of the mouth or throat, laceration or perforation of the intestine, and other serious injuries.

If you purchased the ground beef, do not eat it. Throw it away or return it to the place of purchase. For questions, contact Justin Wiley, processing operations manager at White Oak Pastures, at (229) 641-2081 or send an email to