More than 167,000 pounds of pork, beef, and goat products sold nationwide are being recalled after federal officials said they were produced without inspection and mislabeled with a false U.S. Department of Agriculture inspection mark.
The affected products were shipped nationwide to household buyers, restaurants, and retailers, so some may still be in home refrigerators or freezers.
Here's what to know
According to USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, Star Meat Delivery, Inc. of Lucama, North Carolina, began recalling about 167,639 pounds of raw pork, beef, and goat on September 22, Good Housekeeping reported. The meat was distributed under the A&D Foods label and carried a false establishment mark marked "EST. 1363."
In an email to The Cool Down, A&D Foods said its only role is to act as a distributor of the food products in question, as they are already packaged when they arrive at its facility, but that it took immediate steps to notify customers and process the recall.
"The safety and the integrity of the products we distribute are among our highest priorities," said a spokesperson for A&D Foods. "We have been in direct communication with our customers and are assisting them with the appropriate recall procedures.
"No illnesses or adverse health events have been reported in connection with the products subject to this recall. We will continue to take every appropriate step and work closely with regulatory authorities and our customers and supply chain partners to support the recall, protect consumers, and uphold the standards of safety, quality, and integrity that guide our business."
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FSIS placed the recall in Class I, the agency's most urgent category. In practice, that means eating the uninspected meat could pose a serious health danger because it may contain undeclared allergens, harmful bacteria, or other contaminants.
The recall includes ground pork, pork chorizo, pork chops, goat cuts, beef oxtail, beef short ribs, and other bulk-packed products, some of which stores may have relabeled before sale. As of September 22, no illnesses or injuries had been reported.
More background
Routine FSIS surveillance uncovered the issue after the products had already moved through commerce without the inspection that meat sold to the public is supposed to receive. That review process is meant to identify contamination concerns, sanitation problems, and labeling mistakes before food reaches stores, restaurants, and home kitchens.
The agency said some packages sold at retail may not show A&D Foods branding, even if the meat came from the recalled lots, according to Good Housekeeping.
What can be done?
If you purchased raw pork, beef, or goat products matching the recalled descriptions, do not eat them. FSIS advises consumers to either throw the items away or return them to the place of purchase.
If you already ate one of the products, watch for symptoms and contact a health care provider if you start to feel sick.
Consumers with questions can contact Jennifer Joyner, media office manager for Star Meat Delivery, Inc., at 252-239-0610. The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline is also available at 888-674-6854, and the Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be used to report concerns involving meat, poultry, or egg products.
Where can I learn more?
These stories dig into the bigger issues behind recalls like this one, including how meat products are labeled, monitored, and pulled from sale. They also cover tougher USDA scrutiny of label claims, concerns about misleading packaging, and other recalls involving beef and pork products.
• The USDA moved toward much more scrutiny of meat labels making environmental claims.
• A USDA report exposed major problems with labels tied to meat packaging and animal welfare.
• Food Lion pulled multiple ground beef products after contamination concerns hit store shelves.
Editor's note: This article was updated to add a statement from an A&D Foods spokesperson.
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