The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has announced the recall of approximately 167,639 pounds of beef, goat, and pork products distributed across the United States. Star Meat Delivery Inc. of Lucama, North Carolina, withdrew the products after concerns that they were produced without the required federal inspection.
According to the FSIS, the recalled products bear false inspection marks showing establishment number “EST. 1363,” despite the facility not having a federal grant of inspection. The issue was discovered during routine FSIS surveillance activities. Officials warned that meat produced without federal inspection may contain undeclared allergens, harmful bacteria, or other contaminants that could pose risks to consumers.
The recalled products were produced on various dates before Sept. 22 and shipped to A&D Foods, a distributor in Georgia. The distributor then supplied the products to restaurants and retail locations nationwide. The recall includes a wide range of raw meat products, including goat cuts and skin, ribeye, beef chuck, oxtail, short ribs, shanks, beef feet, ground pork, pork chorizo, pork chops, pork feet, pork ribs, pork shoulder, pork hocks, and menudo mix.
FSIS said the number of recalled products could increase as additional information becomes available. Some of the affected products may still be stored in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers, as well as at restaurants and retail establishments. The agency said there have been no confirmed reports of illness or injury associated with the products, but consumers who believe they may have become ill should contact a healthcare provider.
The recall has been classified as “Class I,” the highest-risk recall category, which is used when there is a reasonable probability that consuming a product could cause serious health consequences or death. Consumers who purchased the recalled meat should not eat it and should either return it to the place of purchase or dispose of it safely. The FSIS also noted that a separate recall last month involved 24,900 pounds of frozen Buffalo chicken products distributed in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont over similar concerns about production without federal inspection.
