USDA Recalls 167,639 Pounds of Meat Sold With Fake Inspection Marks

The USDA has ordered a nationwide recall of approximately 167,639 pounds of raw pork, beef, and goat products after discovering they carried false federal inspection marks — meaning the meat never underwent legally required safety checks.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a notice alerting the public that the products bearing false establishment numbers had been distributed nationwide. The agency assigned the recall its most serious designation, Class 1, which the agency says means "there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death."

Star Meat Delivery Inc., the recalling company, shipped the items to Georgia-based distributor A&D Foods, the notice states. From there, the meat reached retail and restaurant locations across the country. The FSIS did not identify which retailers or restaurants ultimately received the products.

The products "bear false marks of inspection with establishment number 'EST. 1363,' which does not have a federal grant of inspection," according to the notice. The agency did not say who applied the false marks to the packaging. FSIS uncovered the mislabeling through what it describes as "surveillance activities."

Because the meat skipped inspection, its safety cannot be guaranteed. The FSIS says the products could "contain undeclared allergens, harmful bacteria, or other contaminants that put consumer health and safety at risk."

What's covered

The recalled raw pork, beef, and goat items were produced on various dates before September 22. All carry the false establishment number "EST. 1363" on their labels. The FSIS cautions, however, that "individual consumer packages may not bear this labeling, as retail stores may have applied their own stickers with pricing and safe handling instructions."

The recall spans more than 20 product types shipped in various-weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed items sold under the A&D Foods brand. The list includes goat cuts, sliced ribeye, beef chuck, oxtail, beef short ribs, beef feet, shanks, ground pork, pork chorizo, bone-in pork chops, pork feet, pork ribs, diced and sliced pork Boston butt, menudo mix, pork hock, and beef ribs.

The FSIS warns the list could grow. The recall may expand to include more items "as more information becomes available," the agency said.

What buyers should do

The FSIS says it is concerned that consumers, retailers, and restaurants may still hold the recalled meats in freezers or refrigerators. The agency urges restaurants and retailers not to serve or sell the products, and consumers not to eat them. Anyone holding recalled items should throw them away or return them to the place of purchase.

The recall notice and label images are available on the FSIS website.

With the source of the false inspection marks still unidentified and the retail distribution map undisclosed, the FSIS surveillance effort that caught this batch may have to widen before consumers know the full scale of the exposure.