Over 160,000 pounds of ‘unsafe’ meat with fake USDA stamps recalled

Star Meat Delivery, a company based in North Carolina, is recalling approximately 167,639 pounds of raw meat that did not go through federal inspection, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced Tuesday. 

The raw pork, beef, and goat products had labels with a false USDA mark of inspection, meaning the meat was not verified to be “safe, wholesome and properly labeled,” FSIS said in a statement. 

“Any product bearing the false establishment number ‘EST. 1363’ should be considered misbranded and unsafe to eat,” FSIS said. 

The false establishment number does not have a federal grant of inspection, FSIS said. The recalled meat products were shipped to A&D Foods, a distributor in Duluth, Georgia, and then shipped again to individual retailers and restaurants across the country.

This recall has been classified as Class I, the highest health risk. While there have been no confirmed reports of illness due to consumption of these products, FSIS is urging any consumers who have these products not to consume them. 

“Food produced without inspection may contain undeclared allergens, harmful bacteria, or other contaminants that put consumer health and safety at risk,” FSIS said. “FSIS is concerned that some product may be in the refrigerators or freezers of consumers, restaurants, or retailers.”

What is being recalled? 

The recalled raw meat items were produced on various dates prior to Tuesday and were vacuum-sealed and packed into cardboard boxes for shipment, FSIS said. 

But once the meat arrived at their destination, it may have been relabeled with the retailer’s sticker and handling instructions, FSIS warned.

As of Sept. 24, the following products with A&D Foods labels are subject to recall (you can find the product labels here):

• Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods “GOAT CUT 1-1/2″ 10.00 LBS”
• Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods “GOAT BURN SKIN ON CUT 1-1/2″ 10.00 LBS”
• Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods “SLICE RIBEYE 4oz 10.00 LBS”
• Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods “BEEF CHUCK THIN SLICED KBQ 4 MM 20.00 LBS”
• Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods “BEEF OXTAIL CUT 10.00LBS”
• Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods “BEEF SHORT RIBS SLD 3/8″ REGULAR 10.00 LBS”
• Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods “SHANKS BONE IN CUT 1.5 10.00 LBS”
• Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods “PORK GROUND 10.00LBS”
• Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods “PORK CHORIZO 10.00 LBS”
• Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods “PORK CHOP B/I 10.00 LBS”
• Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods “PORK FEET CUT 8 PCS 10.00 LBS”
• Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods “PORK FEET CUT 6 PCS 10.00 LBS”
• Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods “PORK RIB PIECES PREM 1″ 10.00 LBS”
• Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods “PORK BOSTON DICED 10.00 LBS”
• Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods “PORK BOSTON SLICE 1 INCH 20.00 LBS”
• Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods “Menudo Mix 30.00 LBS”
• Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods “PORK BOSTON THIN SLICED 3.5MM 20.00 LBS”
• Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods “PORK HOCK SLICED 10.00 LBS”
• Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods Beef Ribs 4Bone 2″ C. Cut P/Caldo
• Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods Beef Short Rib Thin Sliced
• Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods Pork Boston Butt Sliced 4MM
• Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods Beef Short Ribs SLD 3/8″ Premium C. Cut
• Various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods Beef Feet Cut

How did this happen? 

Star Meat Delivery said in a statement it operates “primarily as a meat broker and distributor” and the meat involved in this recall was “sourced from a USDA-inspected supplier.” 

“Star Meat Delivery has never operated by sourcing meat from unapproved or unknown sources,” the statement said. “Our business has been built on working with established suppliers and serving longstanding customers throughout our industry.”

It pushed back on the notion that the inspection stamps on the meat were falsified, claiming false stamps were not used and the establishment number was “legitimately reserved” for their processing center as part of the USDA application process. 

“As our customers’ needs have evolved, we began working through the USDA approval process to provide additional cutting and packaging services to meet specific customer requests out of state,” the statement said. “The recent recall, which was initiated by us, involves products that were processed and packaged for a meat distributor in GA, while that approval process was still underway. No other products sold by Star Meat Delivery were mislabelled, and no other products sold by Star Meat Delivery are part of the recall that has been issued.” 

FSIS said the problem was discovered during surveillance activities.

“We are committed to making sure a situation like this never happens again,” Star Meat Delivery said. “Thank you for standing with us.”