The U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued an urgent public health alert for a grassfed ground beef product potentially contaminated with metal fragments, urging anyone who purchased the item to discard it immediately. The warning, which stops short of a formal recall, comes after the manufacturer received complaints from two consumers who reported finding metal pieces in their packages.
The alert, issued on March 23, 2026, targets a product that is no longer on store shelves, but federal food safety officials are concerned that some packages may still be stored in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers. That concern, rather than active retail availability, is precisely what prompted the agency to go public with the warning.
What Product Is Affected and Where It Was Sold
According to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the alert applies specifically to 16-ounce, vacuum-packed packages of “White Oak Pastures, Radically Traditional Farming, Grassfed Ground Beef.” The product was produced on February 26, 2026, and carries the sell-by date of March 19, 2026, stamped on the back of the packaging. Consumers can also identify it by the establishment number “EST 34729,” which appears inside the USDA mark of inspection.
The ground beef was shipped to Mom’s Organic Markets retail locations across Washington, D.C., Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. While no injuries or illnesses linked to the product had been confirmed at the time of the alert, the FSIS cautioned that metal fragments in food pose a genuine risk of physical harm, especially to the mouth and throat.
Why a Recall Was Not Requested, and What Consumers Should Do
The decision not to issue a formal recall reflects the product’s current status: it is no longer available for purchase in stores. The FSIS explained that the public health alert was instead issued out of an abundance of caution, specifically because some packages may still be in consumers’ homes. The agency said it will continue to monitor the situation and release further updates should new information emerge.
According to the FSIS, consumers who have purchased the affected product are strongly advised not to consume it under any circumstances. Packages should either be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase for a refund. Anyone who believes they may have suffered an injury as a result of consuming the product is encouraged to seek medical attention promptly.
For those with questions about the affected ground beef, the FSIS has directed consumers to contact Justin Wiley, Processing Operations Manager at White Oak Pastures, by phone at (229) 641-2081 or by email at [email protected]. More broadly, consumers with food safety concerns can reach the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline toll-free at 888-674-6854, or submit complaints online through the Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System, which is accessible around the clock.
White Oak Pastures is based in Bluffton, Georgia, and markets itself as a regenerative farming operation. The company has not issued a separate public statement beyond the contact information provided through the FSIS announcement.
