Thanksgiving is less than six weeks away, but there’s already cause for concern over this year’s turkey supply. Butterball has issued a recall of more than 14,000 pounds of ground turkey product because it is suspected to be contaminated with blue plastic. According to Butterball, the ground turkey was distributed to Kroger and BJ’s grocery stores. No other Butterball turkey products are affected by this recall and the brand is cooperating with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to complete a thorough investigation to confirm the safety of the rest of their products.
According to the USDA, the affected ground turkey products include 2.5-lb. trays containing “farm to family Butterball all-natural Ground Turkey'' with the case code 50211271, a sell or freeze by date of 10/18/2021, and timestamps from 2123 through 2302 printed on the packaging; and a three-pound tray containing “Kroger Ground Turkey'' with the case code 50211271, a sell or freeze by date of 10/17/2021, and timestamps from 2314 through 2351 printed on the packaging.
The contaminated product was discovered and reported by a consumer who found blue plastic mixed in with the turkey. However, at this time there are no reported injuries or illnesses associated with the recalled products. Unfortunately, cooking the turkey to 165℉ will not take care of the issue.
If you have one of these products in your refrigerator or freezer, you are urged to immediately discard the turkey or return it to the place of purchase for a refund. Consumers with questions about the recall can contact the Butterball Consumer Hotline at (800) 288-8372.
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