Nearly 22,530 pounds of beef chili with beans that was meant to be served in schools has been recalled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
J.T.M. Provisions Company announced the recall of its "frozen, ready-to-eat beef chili with beans products that may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically white plastic," the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said on Sunday.
The affected items from the Harrison, Ohio-based food manufacturer were produced on February 27.
The products in question include a 30 pound case of “CHILI WITH BEANS” that contains six 5-pound boilable bags of “CP5309 CHILI WITH BEANS” with lot code 23058 printed on the bag, and “February 27, 2023” and lot code 23058 printed on the case, the USDA wrote in the recall announcement.
"The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 1917” inside the USDA mark of inspection on the case. These products were purchased by USDA Foods for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). These items were shipped to distributors in California, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Wisconsin," the statement said.
The FSIS was first notified of the problem from the company after it received "a customer complaint about semi-rigid white plastic material found in the frozen, ready-to-eat beef chili with beans."
As of time of publication, there have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.
The FSIS said it's "concerned that some product may be in school freezers or refrigerators" and advised all school nutrition professionals who may have purchased the products not to prepare or consume them.
"These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase," the agency stated.
Consumers with additional food safety questions are encouraged to call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 513-367-4900 or live chat online.
