Recall: 16-Ounce White Oak Pastures Ground Beef for Metal Contamination

If you bought ground beef recently and tossed it into the freezer for a “future me will deal with this” dinner, now would be a very good time to check the label. The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued a public health alert tied to a product from White Oak Pastures due to possible metal contamination. Yes, metal. As in, absolutely not a seasoning.

This is not a formal recall, which is where things get a little confusing. The product is no longer available for purchase, so FSIS did not request a recall. But the agency is still warning consumers because some packages may still be sitting in home refrigerators or freezers. So while it is technically a public health alert, the practical takeaway is the same: do not eat it.

Ground Beef Recall Alert: What Product Is Affected

The product named in the alert is:

• 16-ounce plastic, vacuum-packed packages of White Oak Pastures, Radically Traditional Farming, Grassfed Ground Beef

The affected ground beef was:

• Produced on February 26, 2026
• Marked with establishment number EST 34729 inside the USDA inspection mark
• Stamped on the back with 105761 Sell by 03/19/26

That label information matters because food safety notices tend to read like they were drafted by a barcode with a law degree. If you have this exact product, don’t overthink it. Don’t cook it. Don’t “just inspect it.” Don’t channel your inner survivalist. Throw it away or return it to the store.

Why This Ground Beef Recall Matters

According to FSIS, the concern is possible contamination with foreign material, specifically metal. The issue came to light after White Oak Pastures received two consumer complaints.

At the time of the alert, there were no confirmed reports of injury linked to the product. That’s the good news. The less comforting news is that metal in food is one of those problems you really do not want to test personally. This isn’t a “maybe the flavor is off” situation. This is a “your burrito bowl should not fight back” situation.

Even without confirmed injuries, FSIS issued the alert because contaminated food can still pose a real risk, especially if people have stored it at home and forgotten about it.

Where The Affected Product Was Sold

The ground beef was shipped to a distributor and sold at Mom’s Organic Markets locations in:

• Washington, D.C.
• Massachusetts
• Maryland
• New Jersey
• Pennsylvania
• Virginia

If you shop at Mom’s Organic Markets in any of those areas and bought White Oak Pastures grassfed ground beef around that time, it’s worth checking your fridge or freezer. The product may no longer be on shelves, but home freezers are basically time capsules with frozen peas.

Is This A Recall Or A Public Health Alert

Here’s the clean version, because food safety language loves nuance almost as much as normal people hate it.

FSIS issued a public health alert, not a formal recall. Why? Because the product is believed to be no longer available for sale in stores. A recall usually involves pulling items still in commerce. In this case, the agency’s concern is that consumers may still have the product at home.

From a consumer standpoint, the distinction is interesting but not especially useful at dinnertime. Whether it is labeled a recall or an alert, the advice is the same: do not consume the product.

So yes, people searching for a ground beef recall are still looking in the right place. The label may be slightly different, but the urgency is very real.

What To Do If You Have The Product

If you find this product in your kitchen, FSIS says you should:

• Not consume it
• Throw it away
• Or return it to the place of purchase

That’s it. No heroic trimming. No, “I’ll just cook it extra well.” Heat does many wonderful things, but it does not turn metal into a food group.

If you think you were injured after eating the product, contact a healthcare provider. Better to make one mildly awkward phone call than ignore something that could be serious.

Contact Information For Questions About The Alert

Consumers with questions about the product can contact White Oak Pastures directly:

• Justin Wiley, Processing Operations Manager
• Phone: (229) 641-2081
• Email: [email protected]

If you have broader food safety questions, you can also contact the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at:

• 888-MPHotline or 888-674-6854
• Email: [email protected]

Consumers can also report a problem with a meat, poultry, or egg product through the USDA’s Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System.

Final Thoughts On This Ground Beef Alert

Food safety alerts are easy to ignore until they involve something sitting in your own freezer. This one involves a specific White Oak Pastures ground beef product that may contain metal, sold through Mom’s Organic Markets in six states and D.C. There have been no confirmed injuries, but FSIS is clear: if you have it, don’t eat it.

The smartest move here is gloriously boring. Check the label. Match the details. Toss it or return it.

Sometimes adulting is meal prep. Sometimes, adulting is discovering your frozen ground beef has become the subject of a government warning. Life contains multitudes.