More than 167,000 pounds of raw pork, beef and goat products are being recalled nationwide because they were produced without proper inspection, federal safety regulators said.
No confirmed illnesses or injuries related to the meat products have been reported.
The Department of Agriculture issued the alert on Tuesday after discovering that Star Meat Delivery Inc., a company based in North Carolina, had used a false mark of inspection.
Meat inspected by federal authorities carries a mark stating that it has been examined, alongside an establishment number — “EST” — that identifies the plant where the product was produced.
The affected items carry the label “EST. 1363” and should be considered falsely labeled and unsafe to eat, according to the department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. The recalled items include beef ribs, pork chorizo, pork chops and cuts of goat.
Regulators noted that the establishment label may not be visible on all packages, as retail stores can apply their own price and handling stickers over the original packaging.
The vacuum-sealed items were packed into cardboard boxes before Sept. 22 and sent to A&D Foods, a distributor in Georgia, for nationwide delivery to retail stores and restaurants.
The agency said it discovered the problem during “surveillance activities” and was “concerned” that some of the meat products “may be in the refrigerators or freezers of consumers, restaurants, or retailers.”
The recall was designated Class 1, the agency’s highest health risk classification. Regulators warned that meat produced without inspection can contain “undeclared allergens, harmful bacteria or other contaminants that put consumer health and safety at risk.”
The largest recall of meat in the United States occurred in 2008 when the Hallmark/Westland Meatpacking Company recalled more than 143 million pounds of beef after undercover video footage revealed workers abusing cattle.
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