More than 167,000 pounds of raw meat products are being recalled nationwide after officials determined the products were made without the required USDA inspection and bore false inspection markings.
Star Meat Delivery Inc. has recalled approximately 167,639 pounds of raw pork, beef and goat products from the Lucama, North Carolina-based meat company, the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said.
The recalled products were distributed to restaurants and retailers after being shipped to A&D Foods, a distributor in Georgia.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said the products were produced without the benefit of federal inspection and bore a false USDA mark of inspection.
The USDA warned that because the products were not tested or approved by federal authorities, they were considered misbranded and unsafe for consumption.
Federal law requires that commercially sold meat products be inspected to ensure that they are safe, wholesome and accurately labeled.
The USDA assigned the recall a Class I classification, its highest risk recall category.
The agency said the products could result in serious health consequences or cause death if consumed.
So far, officials said there have been no confirmed reports of illnesses or injuries associated with the recalled meat.
The agency advised consumers who have health concerns after eating the products to contact their healthcare providers.
The recalled meat was produced on multiple dates before Sept. 22 and includes 23 different products.
Among them are:
Sliced ribeye,
Beef oxtail cuts,
Beef short ribs,
Goat cuts,
Ground pork
and other raw beef, pork and goat products.
The products were vacuum-sealed and placed inside cardboard boxes before being distributed.
Consumers and retailers are being urged to check their products for the “EST. 1363” mark.
However, the USDA warned that some packages may not bear the number due to the addition of labels by individual stores that contain pricing or handling information.
The agency said the products could contain undeclared allergens, harmful bacteria or other contaminants since they were not processed under the required federal inspection system.
Consumers who have purchased any of the recalled products should not eat the products, the agency said.
People can throw the products away or return the items to the retailer where they were purchased.
An entire list of recalled products and their labels can be viewed through the USDA FSIS recall notice.
Star Meat Delivery Inc. said the recalled meat was sourced from a USDA-inspected supplier and denied sourcing meat from unapproved or unknown suppliers.
The company said it had been working through the USDA approval process to expand its cutting and packaging services for customers outside North Carolina.
According to the company, the recalled products were processed and packaged for a Georgia meat distributor while that approval process was still underway.
Star Meat Delivery said it initiated the recall and maintained that no other products sold by the company are included in the recall.
The USDA said the issue was discovered during a routine food safety inspection.
Consumers should check the official recall information before purchasing or consuming any potentially affected products.