More than 83 tons of meat is being recalled across the United States because the products were not properly inspected by federal authorities and were distributed with counterfeit inspection labels, according to the Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Star Meat Delivery Inc., based in Lucama, North Carolina, is recalling more than 167,000 pounds of raw pork, beef and goat meat nationwide. The USDA noted that that figure could increase as the investigation continues.
Among the affected products are vacuum-packed goat meat with and without skin; slices of Ribeye beef, KBQ 4, OXRO, Menudo mix packages, beef ribs and legs, ground pork, and chorizo, chops, pork legs and ribs, among others.
Food produced without inspection may contain undeclared allergens, harmful bacteria or other contaminants, the agency said Tuesday in announcing the recall. So far, there have been no confirmed cases of illnesses or injuries related to these meats, according to the USDA.
The meat in question was produced “on various dates” prior to September 22 and bears USDA inspection labels that falsely display an establishment number—EST. 1363—which, according to the agency, “does not have federal inspection authorization.”
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However, some packages purchased by consumers may not carry that label, as retailers may have placed their own labels with prices and safe handling instructions, the agency warned.
The products were shipped to Georgia-based distributor A&D Foods for further distribution to stores and restaurants nationwide.
The USDA noted that the products should be considered mislabeled and unfit for consumption and should be discarded or returned to the place of purchase.
The agency reported that the problem was detected during routine inspections by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). It is unclear if any arrests have been made or criminal charges filed.
Star Meat Delivery, in a statement posted Thursday on its Facebook page, rejected the idea that the inspection seals on its products had been falsified. He stated that the establishment number in question had been “legitimately reserved” as part of the application process with the USDA, while the company processes approval to process and package meat for the Georgia distributor.
That approval process is still ongoing, Star Meat said, although the meat in question came from a USDA-inspected supplier.
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“No other products sold by Star Meat Delivery were incorrectly labeled, nor are they part of the recall that has been ordered,” the company stated. “We are fully cooperating with the relevant authorities to finalize the request and following established withdrawal procedures.”
The USDA did not immediately respond to Star Meat’s statement.
In a public statement, the USDA warns that foods produced without inspection may contain “undeclared allergens, harmful bacteria or other contaminants that put the health and safety of consumers at risk.” Additionally, the department urges consumers who have purchased these products “not to consume them, and retailers and restaurants not to sell or serve them. These products should be discarded or returned to the place where they were purchased.”
Product recalls motivated by counterfeit inspection seals are relatively rare, according to Keith Schneider, a food safety professor at the University of Florida in Gainesville.
“This is someone who wanted to take a shortcut,” he commented. “There are systems to detect this type of situation and it seems that the system worked as it should. Inspections cannot be skipped.” Last year, about 32,000 pounds of meat — including chorizo, pork chops and ribs — produced by the New Jersey company Sabrositos Hondureños were recalled after the USDA determined that the products carried false inspection labels.
