Pork, Beef and Goat Recalled Nationwide as Highest Warning Issued - Newsweek
Star Meat Delivery Inc. is recalling about 167,639 pounds of raw beef, pork and goat because they were produced without federal inspection, a U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) alert says on Tuesday.
The Class I recall says that the products have a false USDA mark of inspection. The FSIS describes a Class I as involving a health hazard "where there is a reasonable probability that use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death."
Products with an “EST. 1363” number on them should be considered unsafe to eat, the alert warns.
Numerous recalls have been issued this year across the country due to the potential for damage, foodborne illness, contamination, lack of inspection or undeclared food allergens. Recently, federal officials also announced a recall of J. HIGGS brand loaded bacon and cheddar potato chips due to concerns over potentially undeclared soy, which can trigger allergies.
Newsweek reached out to Star Meat Delivery Inc. via email on Tuesday night for comment.
According to the alert, the recalled beef, pork and goat products were produced on various dates before Tuesday, distributed in bulk under the A&D Foods label to restaurant and retail locations across the country. The recalled products were packaged via vacuum-seal and placed into cardboard boxes. The alert notes in part that "individual consumer packages may not bear this labeling, as retail stores may have applied their own stickers with pricing and safe handling instructions."
There have been no confirmed reported injuries or illnesses related to the recall, according to the FSIS.
The following products are listed in the recall by the FSIS. The recall pertains to various weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods:
The alert says the issue was discovered during FSIS surveillance activities: "Food produced without inspection may contain undeclared allergens, harmful bacteria, or other contaminants that put consumer health and safety at risk." The alert also links to individual labels of the recalled products for customers to cross-reference.
The FSIS says as more information becomes available, the list of recalled products could expand.
The FSIS warns that consumers, retailers and restaurants may have some recalled products in their freezers or refrigerators and that those who have purchased the goods should not consume them. Retailers are also urged to avoid selling or serving the recalled products, the alert says, adding the products should be returned to the original place of purchase or thrown away.
The latest recall impacting raw pork, beef and goat products comes amid heightened fears and attention to foodborne illnesses and recalls, including national cases of salmonella and cyclospora.
Keith Schneider, professor of food safety at the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, said in a release sent to Newsweek earlier this month when asked if recent food recalls mean our food system is becoming less safe, "No. In many cases, a recall is evidence that the food-safety system is working as it was designed to work."
Schneider continued: "We cannot make food completely risk-free. Food is grown outdoors, handled by people and, in many cases, eaten raw. There will always be some level of risk. The important thing is having systems that can identify a problem, determine how serious it is, identify the affected product and remove it from store shelves or consumers' hands. It is not possible to prevent every single problem from ever occurring. The goal is to identify problems as quickly as possible and limit their impact."
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Edward T. Cummins.
