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 A North Carolina company has recalled more than 35,000 pounds of ground beef, sold in Kroger stores, for possible contamination with plastic bits. (Photo: Jim Cole, AP) 
 
 A North Carolina food processor has recalled more than 17.7 tons of ground beef, some of which was sold in Kroger stores, for possible contamination with plastic bits, according to the Department of Agriculture. 
 
 JBS USA is recalling 35,464 pounds of raw ground beef processed at its Lenoir, N.C., facility for possible contamination with hard plastic pieces, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced late Wednesday. The recall comes after a consumer found blue, hard, plastic pieces in one of the products, the USDA says. 
 
 The department says there have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to the consumption of the products, which were produced March 22, 2018. 
 
 The ground beef, sold in a variety of packages, was shipped to distribution centers in Virginia and Indiana and sent to retailers including Kroger stores in North Carolina, Virginia, Indiana, Illinois and eastern West Virginia, as well as Food 4 Less and Jay C stores in the Midwest. The products carried a sell-by date of April 9, 2018, and a USDA mark with the number EST. 34176. 
 
 Some consumers may have packages of the ground beef in their freezers, the USDA says. Those who bought the products should throw them away or return them to the place of purchase. 
 
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 Kroger is aware of the recall and has "verified that none of these products are in our stores today," spokesperson Kristal Howard said, "We encourage customers to check their freezers for the potentially affected products and not to consume them but throw them away or return them to their place of purchase for a full refund." 
 
 Kroger’s Mid-Atlantic division, which has stores in North Carolina, eastern West Virginia and Virginia, received some shipments of the potentially-affected products, she said. 
 
 Kroger stores in Indiana and Illinois — and Food 4 Less and Jay C stores in the Midwest — got just limited amounts of the 80/20 ground beef in 1-pound and 3-pound packages, Howard said. 
 
 
 
 
 
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 (CNN) A North Carolina food processing company that supplies meat to Kroger is recalling more than 35,000 pounds of ground beef because it might be contaminated with bits of hard plastic. 
 
 JBS USA decided to recall the items after a consumer complained that hard, blue pieces of plastic were found in one of the products, the US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service said in a statement. 
 
 The beef, produced on March 22, was shipped to distribution centers in Indiana and Virginia for sale in stores in those states. 
 
 The meat is packaged under the labels Kroger Ground Beef, Private Selection Angus Beef, Kroger Ground Sirloin and All Natural Laura's Lean Beef and stamped with "EST. 34176" inside the USDA mark of inspection. 
 
 "There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to the consumption of these products," the USDA said. "Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider." 
 
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 EDITOR’S NOTE: This release was updated on May 4, 2018 to reflect clarifications to the product labels. 
 
 WASHINGTON, May 2, 2018 – JBS USA, Inc., a Lenoir, N.C. establishment, is recalling approximately 35,464 pounds of raw ground beef products that may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically hard plastic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. 
 
 The raw ground beef items were produced on March 22, 2018. The following products are subject to recall: [View Labels (PDF Only)] 
 
 3-lb. tray packages containing “Kroger GROUND BEEF 73% LEAN - 27% FAT” with product code 95051, UPC: 011110975645, and a Sell By date of 4/9/2018. 
 
 1-lb. tray packages containing “Kroger GROUND CHUCK 80% LEAN - 20% FAT GROUND BEEF” with product code 95052, UPC: 011110977342, and a Sell By date of 4/9/2018. 
 
 3-lb. tray packages containing “Kroger GROUND CHUCK 80% LEAN – 20% FAT GROUND BEEF” with product code 95053, UPC of 011110975690, and a Sell By date of 4/9/2018. 
 
 1-lb. tray packages containing “PRIVATE SELECTION ANGUS BEEF 80% LEAN - 20% FAT GROUND CHUCK” with product code 95054, UPC: 011110971395, and a Sell By date of 4/9/2018. 
 
 1-lb. tray packages containing “Kroger GROUND ROUND 85% LEAN – 15% FAT GROUND BEEF” with product code 95055, UPC: 011110969484, and a Sell By date of 4/9/2018. 
 
 1-lb. tray packages containing “Kroger GROUND SIRLOIN 90% LEAN – 10% FAT GROUND BEEF” and product code 95056, UPC: 011110975638, and a Sell By date of 4/9/2018. 
 
 1-lb. tray packages containing “ALL NATURAL LAURA’S LEAN BEEF 92% LEAN 8% FAT GROUND BEEF” with product code 95057, UPC: 612669316714, and a Sell By date of 4/9/2018. 
 
 1-lb. tray packages containing “ALL NATURAL LAURA’S LEAN BEEF 96% LEAN 4% FAT GROUND BEEF” with product code 95058, UPC: 612669317063, and a Sell By date of 4/9/2018. 
 
 1-lb. tray packages containing “PRIVATE SELECTION ANGUS BEEF 90% LEAN – 10% FAT GROUND SIRLOIN” with product code 95063, UPC: 011110969637 and a Sell By date of 4/9/2018. 
 
 1-lb. tray packages containing “Kroger GROUND BEEF 93% LEAN – 7% FAT” with product code 95064, UPC: 011110969200, and a Sell By date of 4/9/2018. 
 
 15-lb. cases containing “JBS Ground Beef Angus Chuck 80% Lean 20% Fat Service Case” with Case UPC: 0040404800632 and a “Sell By: 9.APRIL.” 
 
 15-lb. cases containing “Ground Beef Angus Sirloin 90% Lean 10% Fat Service Case” Case UPC: 0040404800634, and a “Sell By: 9.APRIL.” 
 
 The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 34176” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to distribution centers in Virginia and Indiana for further distribution to retail locations. 
 
 The problem was discovered after the firm received a complaint from a consumer who found blue, hard plastic pieces in one of the products. 
 
 There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to the consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider. 
 
 FSIS is concerned that some product may be frozen and in consumers’ freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase. 
 
 FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. 
 
 Consumers and members of the media with questions about the recall can contact Cheri Schneider, director of external communications at JBS, at (970) 506-7717. 
 
 Consumers with food safety questions can "Ask Karen," the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov or via smartphone at m.askkaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day. The online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/reportproblem.
– The USDA's food inspection unit wants people to check their freezers for ground beef that may have been contaminated by pieces of hard, blue plastic. A recall notice has been issued for 17.7 tons of ground beef from a batch that ended up at Kroger stores, among other outlets, USA Today reports. The notice was issued after a consumer found plastic in beef, though there've been no reports of adverse reactions, according to the USDA. The recall affects a batch produced by North Carolina producer JBS USA on March 22. It ended up in Kroger stores in states including North Carolina, Virginia, Indiana, Illinois, and West Virginia, as well as at chains including Food 4 Less and JayC in the Midwest. The affected beef was sold in products including Kroger Ground Beef, Private Selection Angus Beef, Kroger Ground Sirloin, and All Natural Laura's Lean Beef, all with the inspection number "EST. 34176," CNN reports. "We encourage customers to check their freezers for the potentially affected products and not to consume them but throw them away or return them to their place of purchase for a full refund," a Kroger spokeswoman says. A full list of affected products, all with a sell-by date of April 9, can be seen here.