A North Carolina meat company is pulling nearly 168,000 pounds of raw beef, pork and goat from stores and restaurants nationwide after federal inspectors discovered the products were never properly examined.
Star Meat Delivery Inc., based in the state, shipped the uninspected products to a Georgia distributor that then sent them to retail and food-service locations across the country, including California, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced. The recall covers goods produced before Sept. 22.
The affected items include ground pork, chorizo, pork chops, pork ribs and feet, beef ribs and oxtail, goat cuts and other raw meat products. They were vacuum-sealed and packed in cardboard boxes before delivery to A&D Foods, which distributed them under its own label.
Federal officials said products bearing the establishment number “EST. 1363” should be considered mislabeled and unsafe to eat. The USDA classified the recall as Class I, its most serious designation.
“Food produced without inspection may contain undeclared allergens, harmful bacteria, or other contaminants that put consumer health and safety at risk,” the agency warned in its announcement.
The problem was uncovered during routine FSIS surveillance activities, officials said. No confirmed reports of illness or injury have been linked to the recalled meat.
Consumers who purchased the products are being urged not to eat them and should instead throw them away or return them to where they were purchased. Restaurants and retailers have also been told not to sell or serve them.
The USDA’s most serious recall classification indicates a reasonable probability that eating the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death. Class I recalls typically involve dangerous bacteria like E. Coli or salmonella, or undeclared allergens that could trigger severe reactions.
The false inspection mark on the Star Meat Delivery products meant the meat bypassed the federal examination process designed to catch such hazards before products reach consumers.