Central Valley Meat Company Beef Recalled After Plastic Found In Meat Intended For School Lunches

More than 58,000 pounds of beef intended for school lunches is being recalled after the U.S. Department of Agriculture discovered the meat may contain small pieces of plastic.

The Central Valley Meat Company, based out of Hanford, Calif., is recalling 40-pound cases containing 10-pound chubs of their fine ground beef after the USDA discovered the contamination during an investigation prompted by customer complaints. The meat had been shipped to Arkansas, California, Montana and Texas to be used in National School Lunch Program meals.

"Central Valley Meat is working diligently to identify and address the source of the problem," Brian Coelho, general manager of the meat plant, told the Fresno Bee. "We will strive to not only maintain but improve the safety of our product, since food safety has always been our number one priority."

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has not reported any illnesses or injuries resulting from the contaminated beef.

This is not the first time the Central Valley Meat Company has come under scrutiny. The USDA temporarily shut down the plant last year after a video surfaced showing its inhumane slaughtering of animals, prompting the agency to investigate whether meat from sick animals had entered the food supply.