CLEVELAND, Ohio – A public health alert has been issued for raw ground beef products that might contain bits of hard plastic, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

According to the government agency, a recall was not requested because the products are no longer available for purchase, though they might be in consumers’ freezers.

Products bear “EST. 4027″ inside the USDA inspection mark. The items were shipped to Whole Foods locations nationwide.

The beef products were produced April 20, 2022. Both are 16-ounce vacuum-sealed packages containing “Organic Rancher Organic Ground Beef,” and have a use-by date of 5-18-2022. One is labeled 93% lean, 7% fat. The other is 85% lean, 15% fat.

The problem was discovered after consumers complained of finding hard, rigid plastic in the products. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged to throw them away or return them to place of purchase.