About 167,639 pounds of raw pork, beef and goat are under a Class I recall, the most serious level the U.S. Department of Agriculture uses. Star Meat Delivery Inc. of Lucama, North Carolina, processed the meat without federal inspection. It shipped the meat under labels with the establishment number EST. 1363, which does not have a federal grant of inspection. The meat went to A&D Foods, a distributor in Duluth, Georgia, and on to restaurants and retailers. No illnesses have been reported.
Most coverage misses what’s on the list itself. It includes oxtail, pork feet, pork hocks, beef shanks, goat, menudo mix and beef ribs cut for caldo. These cuts anchor Sunday dinners in Black Southern homes, Caribbean kitchens, West African stews and Mexican family tables. A&D Foods says its retail buyers are mostly small grocery stores and delis, not national chains like Walmart or Kroger. If this meat is sitting in someone’s freezer, it most likely came from a neighborhood market.
Why is this meat recall so serious?
Because no one inspected it. Federal law requires meat sold for human consumption to be inspected. Uninspected meat may contain harmful bacteria, undeclared allergens or other contaminants, according to the Food Safety and Inspection Service. The Class I label means there is a reasonable chance that eating the product could cause serious health problems or death.
How did uninspected meat get into stores?
It passed through a long chain of handlers. The animals were slaughtered at a properly inspected plant. Star Meat Delivery then cut and packaged the meat, work that requires its own federal permit and daily inspector visits. The company applied for that permit in 2022 but never finished the process, officials said, and the recall covers meat it processed since then. Investigators caught the problem after noticing an odd label on meat at a small South Carolina store, which the department has not named.
Mindy Brashears, the USDA under secretary for food safety, said investigators want to know whether the company believed its paperwork was in order or knew it was not. The recall comes as the Trump administration works to ease some inspection rules for small processors. Industry groups, including the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, have warned that any changes must not let uninspected meat reach shoppers.
What does Star Meat Delivery say?
The company posted a statement on its Facebook page on Sept. 24 and described the situation as an administrative error. It said the meat came from an inspected supplier and was processed while its approval was still pending. It also denied putting a fake USDA stamp on its products and said it is cooperating with authorities.
Which products are recalled and how do I check?
The FSIS lists 23 items sold in bulk under the A&D Foods label. They include goat cuts, ribeye slices, oxtail, short ribs, ground pork, chorizo, pork chops, pork feet, pork hocks and menudo mix, all produced on various dates before Sept. 22.
Checking your own meat is the hard part. Stores often repackage bulk meat with their own price stickers, so the EST. 1363 mark may not appear on what you brought home. If you bought any of these cuts from a small market or deli in recent months, ask the store where it came from.
What should I do if I have the recalled meat?
Do not eat it. Throw it out or return it to the store. A&D Foods says it is contacting every business it sold to and will refund returned meat. Anyone who feels sick after eating these products should call a doctor and mention the recall. The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline also answers food safety questions.
