4,000 Pounds Of Beef Recalled In Mad Cow Disease Scare

More than 4,000 pounds of beef products have been recalled under suspicion of "contaminated materials linked to mad cow disease," reports CNN.

The meat was originally processed at Fruitland American Meat in Jackson, Mo., and packaged between September 2013 and April 2014.

The beef products were then distributed to a Whole Foods distribution center in Connecticut which services its branches in New England, as well as two restaurants in New York City and Kansas City.

In a statement, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service stated that the animals in question showed no signs of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) — the formal name for mad cow disease — and that the recall was issued "out of an abundance of caution," since the FSIS had not received paperwork documenting how nerve tissue was removed.

In accordance with standard procedure, cattle processing centers must submit documentation of the removal of nerve tissue: "Dorsal root ganglia, branches of the nervous system located in the vertebral column are considered specified risk materials (SRMs) and must be removed from cattle 30 months of age and older in accordance with FSIS regulations."

The full list of recalled beef products is available online.