Swift Beef Company Recall Various Beef Stew Products Labeled As HEB Brand

A Cactus, Texas company, is recalling approximately 4,702 pounds of beef stew product that may be contaminated with foreign matter, specifically plastic and metal and some products labeled as HEB brand.

Health Risk: High 

WASHINGTON– Swift Beef Co., doing business as JBS USA Food Company, a Cactus, Texas establishment, is recalling approximately 4,702 pounds of beef stew product that may be contaminated with foreign matter , specifically plastic and metal, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced yesterday.

The boneless beef stew items were produced on Dec. 13, 2017. The following products are subject to recall:

• Cases containing six 5-lb. bulk cryovac plastic bags containing fresh beef stew meat intended for HEB grocery store retailer re-package.  The affected case code is 69404.   
• Re-packaged various weight beef stew meat trays that also contain separately wrapped vegetables. The meat trays are marked with establishment 7231 on the side of the tray.
• Re-packaged various weight beef stew labeled as HEB brand: Beef Stew Meat Tenderized RP, Beef Stew Meat RP, Beef Stew Meat VP, Beef Stew Meat-CR VP, Beef Stew Meat Tenderized VP, Beef Stew Meat CP, and Beef Stew Kit.

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 3D” next to the USDA mark of inspection or Est. 7231 on the side of the tray. These items were shipped to HEB retail stores in Texas.

The problem was discovered on Dec. 24, 2017, by the HEB grocery store chain in San Antonio, Texas, when they opened boxes containing the multi-vac packages.  That same day HEB locked the sales of all stew meat from their registers and pulled all products from shelves in all the stores.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.  

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. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls. 

Consumers or media with questions about the recall can contact Cameron Bruett, Head of Corporate Affairs, at (970) 506-7801.

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.