WASHINGTON – Fruitland American Meat, Jackson, Mo., recalled approximately 4,012 lbs. of fresh beef ribeye and carcass products because the products may contain dorsal root ganglia, a specified risk material (SRM), the US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service reported. SRMs are tissues that may contain the infective agent in cattle infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

Products subject to the recall include:


• 40-lb. cases containing two, roughly 20-lb. cryovac packages of bone-in “Rain Crow Ranch Ribeye” bearing the establishment number “EST. 2316” inside the USDA mark of inspection with the following production dates: 9/5/13, 9/10/13, 9/11/13, 9/26/13, 10/2/13, 10/3/2013, 11/8/13, 11/22/13, 12/17/13, 12/26/13, 12/27/13,1/16/14, 1/17/14, 1/23/14, 1/31/14, 2/13/14, 2/14/14, 2/21/14, 2/28/14, 3/8/14, 3/20/14, 4/4/14 or 4/25/14 printed on the box.

• Quartered beef carcasses stamped with the USDA mark of inspection and establishment number “EST. 2316.”

FSIS discovered the problem during a review of the company's slaughter logs. The agency said the problem may have occurred because of the way some company employees were recording information and determining the age of various cattle. Federal regulations require removal of the dorsal root ganglia in cattle 30 months of age and older.

FSIS noted there is no indication that any of the cattle slaughtered showed signs of BSE infection.

Fruitland America reported the bone-in ribeye roasts were distributed to a restaurant in New York and a Whole Foods distribution center in Connecticut. The company sent quartered carcasses to an FSIS-inspected establishment in Missouri for further processing and distribution to a restaurant in Kansas City, Mo. The products were produced and packaged on various dates between September 2013 and April 2014. The bone-in ribeye roasts were the main concern, FSIS said.

FSIS added there have been no reports of adverse reactions associated with the recalled products.