USDA Issues Class I Recall of Approximately 167,639 Lbs of Raw Pork, Beef and Goat — Why Officials Are Concerned

A major USDA recall affects approximately 167,639 pounds of raw pork, beef and goat products distributed nationwide. Consumers, restaurants and retailers are urged to check their supplies, but what officials discovered about the meat adds an unexpected twist to the warning.

On September 22, 2026, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced a recall involving approximately 167,639 pounds of raw pork, beef, and goat products.

The products were produced on various dates before September 22 and were shipped to a Georgia distributor for further distribution to retail and restaurant locations nationwide.

The meat was distributed in bulk under a popular label and packed into cardboard boxes of various weights after being individually vacuum-sealed. The recalled products include a long list of raw meat items, including goat cuts, beef oxtail, beef ribs, beef feet, pork chops, ground pork, pork chorizo, and several different pork Boston cuts.

The products were discovered during FSIS surveillance activities, according to the agency. At this point, there have been no confirmed reports of illness or injury associated with consumption of the recalled products. But the way these products were identified is where the recall takes a more serious turn.

The Label Carried a Mark That Should Not Have Been There

According to FSIS, the affected products bear a "false USDA mark of inspection" with the establishment number "EST. 1363." The agency says that establishment number does not have a federal grant of inspection. "The products subject to recall bear false marks of inspection with establishment number 'EST. 1363,' which does not have a federal grant of inspection," FSIS said.

The agency also issued a particularly direct warning about products carrying that number, saying, "Any product bearing the false establishment number 'EST. 1363' should be considered misbranded and unsafe to eat."

That means the issue goes beyond a package simply carrying incorrect information. The products were allegedly presented with a federal inspection identification that FSIS says was not legitimately assigned to the establishment.

The Company Behind the Recall

The company identified in the federal recall is Star Meat Delivery Inc., located in Lucama, North Carolina. Star Meat Delivery is recalling approximately 167,639 pounds of raw pork, beef, and goat products after FSIS identified the issue during its surveillance activities.

The recalled products were shipped to A&D Foods, a distributor in Georgia, for further distribution to retailers and restaurants nationwide. That distribution chain is important because the recalled meat was not limited to one location or one type of food business. Products could have moved through retail and restaurant channels in different parts of the country.

PEOPLE reported that the affected products include a long list of pork, beef, and goat items and that the recall was issued after FSIS determined the products had been produced without federal inspection.

The Recall Covers More Than 20 Types of Meat Products

The affected products include various-weight cardboard boxes containing individually vacuum-packed A&D Foods products. Among them are "GOAT CUT 1-1/2" 10.00 LBS," "GOAT BURN SKIN ON CUT 1-1/2" 10.00 LBS," "SLICE RIBEYE 4oz 10.00 LBS," and "BEEF CHUCK THIN SLICED KBQ 4 MM 20.00 LBS."

The list also includes "BEEF OXTAIL CUT 10.00LBS," "BEEF SHORT RIBS SLD 3/8" REGULAR 10.00 LBS," and "SHANKS BONE IN CUT 1.5 10.00 LBS."

Several pork products are included as well, such as "PORK GROUND 10.00LBS,” “PORK CHORIZO 10.00 LBS," "PORK CHOP B/I 10.00 LBS," "PORK FEET CUT 8 PCS 10.00 LBS," and "PORK FEET CUT 6 PCS 10.00 LBS."

Other products on the list include PORK RIB PIECES PREM 1", PORK BOSTON DICED, PORK BOSTON SLICE 1 INCH, Menudo Mix, PORK BOSTON THIN SLICED 3.5MM, PORK HOCK SLICED, Beef Ribs 4Bone 2" C. Cut P/Caldo, Beef Short Rib Thin Sliced, Pork Boston Butt Sliced 4MM, Beef Short Ribs SLD 3/8" Premium C. Cut, and Beef Feet Cut.

The FSIS recall documentation contains the currently available product labels.

The Packaging Could Make Some Products Harder to Spot

There is another wrinkle for consumers who may have purchased the meat. FSIS said the products were vacuum-sealed and packed into cardboard boxes for shipment, but individual consumer packages may not carry the same labeling identified in the recall.

"Retail stores may have applied their own stickers with pricing and safe handling instructions," the agency said. That means a shopper who purchased meat from a retail counter may not necessarily see the original bulk-product labeling on the individual package.

PEOPLE also reported that the affected products may have different labeling at the consumer level because retailers could have applied their own stickers.

Officials Are Concerned About What May Still Be in Freezers

The packaging issue matters because FSIS said it is "concerned" that some of the affected products could still be in consumer, retailer, or restaurant refrigerators or freezers.

The agency urged consumers who purchased the recalled products not to consume them. Retailers and restaurants were likewise urged not to sell or serve the affected products.

The recalled meat should instead be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase, according to FSIS. PEOPLE reported the same warning, noting that the agency is concerned about recalled items that may still be sitting in consumer, retailer, or restaurant refrigerators or freezers.

A&D Foods and Star Meat Delivery Were Contacted

PEOPLE also reported that it reached out to FSIS to ask how the false establishment number was created and used by the producing company. The publication reported that A&D Foods and Star Meat Delivery Inc. did not immediately reply to its requests for comment.

FSIS, meanwhile, said it may update the product list and labels as more information becomes available. The agency also said it will conduct recall effectiveness checks to verify that Star Meat Delivery has notified its customers and taken steps to ensure the affected products are no longer available to consumers.

That brings the focus back to the current recall — but this is not the first time this year that FSIS has dealt with meat products produced or distributed without the required inspection.

Earlier Recalls Show This Has Come Up Before

Several other FSIS recalls announced in 2026 involved meat products that were produced or imported without the required inspection. On August 7, Corte Argentino USA LLC of Aventura, Florida, recalled approximately 29,628 pounds of raw boneless beef products imported from Argentina without the benefit of import reinspection in the United States.

The recalled beef included top sirloin butt, eye round, topside cap off, flat, and knuckle products. The products were distributed to distributors and retailers in Florida and Texas, and the problem was discovered during routine FSIS inspection activities. There were no confirmed reports of illness or injury connected to those products at the time of the recall.

On August 17, Indus Foods LLC, doing business as Gangothri Foods, recalled approximately 1,626 pounds of ready-to-eat pickled goat and chicken products that were produced without the benefit of inspection. The recalled products included 8-ounce jars of Gangothri Goat Pickle, Gangothri Gongura Goat Pickle, Gangothri Chicken Pickle, and Gangothri Gongura Chicken Pickle.

The products had been sold to restaurants, retail locations and distributors nationwide and directly to consumers online. FSIS said the products did not bear a USDA mark of inspection and were discovered during surveillance activities.

Then, on August 26, Shanghai Ravioli Corporation of Boston recalled approximately 24,900 pounds of frozen, not-ready-to-eat Buffalo chicken products that were produced without the benefit of inspection.

The recalled products included cardboard boxes containing Buffalo Chicken Rangoon and Benedetto’s Buffalo Chicken Mozzarella Stick, with the products distributed to food-service locations in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.

Those products also bore a false mark of inspection, this time using establishment number "EST. 18004," which FSIS said did not have a federal grant of inspection.

The earlier recalls involved different companies and circumstances and do not establish that the incidents are connected. They do, however, show why FSIS treats inspection status as a significant part of meat-safety oversight.

What Makes the Recall a Class I Warning

The reason FSIS is urging consumers and businesses to take the September recall seriously goes beyond the false inspection mark. The agency says food produced without inspection may contain undeclared allergens, harmful bacteria, or other contaminants that could put consumer health and safety at risk.

That concern is reflected in the recall's Class I designation. The FDA's recall definitions describe a Class I recall as a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.

Importantly, that classification does not mean that people have already become sick or died from the recalled meat. FSIS specifically said there have been no confirmed reports of illness or injury due to consumption of these products. The agency said anyone concerned about an illness or injury should contact a healthcare provider.

Why Federal Meat Inspection Exists in the First Place

Federal meat inspection in the United States has a history stretching back more than a century. According to the FSIS history of meat inspection, the first federal law requiring inspection of meat products was enacted in 1890, initially covering salted pork and bacon intended for export.

A major turning point came in 1906, when the Federal Meat Inspection Act was enacted. The law prohibited the sale of adulterated or misbranded meat and meat products for food and established requirements designed to ensure meat was slaughtered and processed under sanitary conditions.

Federal meat and poultry inspection responsibilities eventually moved through several government agencies before FSIS was created in 1981. The system has continued to evolve as food production became larger and more complex, with FSIS responsible for establishing and enforcing food-safety requirements for the meat, poultry, and processed egg products under its jurisdiction.

That history helps explain why the discovery of meat carrying a purported USDA inspection identification when the establishment did not have a federal grant of inspection is such an important part of this recall.

Experts Have Raised Broader Questions About Food-Safety Oversight

The current recall also comes amid broader discussions about the resources and staffing available to federal food-safety agencies. In a 2025 NPR report, Paula Soldner, who had spent 38 years inspecting meat and poultry plants around southern Wisconsin, described the day-to-day responsibilities of federal inspectors.

Soldner said inspectors conducted regular checks at facilities, including verifying that equipment such as slicers was cleaned properly and that their sign-off allowed products to carry USDA inspection labeling. After taking an early-retirement offer, Soldner told NPR that remaining inspectors were having to visit eight facilities a day — double the usual number.

"Did that plant receive that daily inspection from inspection personnel? In my mind, that's a huge question mark," Soldner said. She also expressed concern about the potential for another major foodborne-illness outbreak, citing the Listeria contamination associated with Boar's Head deli meats the previous year.

"Do I foresee another Boar's Head situation? Absolutely," Soldner said. "I worry about the public." NPR reported that other experts were also concerned about cuts affecting the federal food-safety system, including the FDA, USDA and CDC.

Sarah Sorscher, a policy expert at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, told NPR, "Our federal food safety system is teetering on the brink of a collapse," while expressing particular concern about the loss of expertise following job cuts.

However, the report also included responses from federal agencies. USDA told NPR that its inspectors' work was "critical" and said front-line inspectors and veterinarians were considered essential workers. The agency also said recent operational changes would not alter its commitment to food safety.

NPR reported that USDA had also announced an additional $14.5 million in funding to reimburse states for food-safety inspections. The broader debate is separate from the September recall, and there is no evidence in the supplied material that staffing changes caused the Star Meat Delivery incident.

Another Expert Says Recalls Can Be Evidence of the System Working

There is also another side to the broader discussion about what a growing number of recalls means for the food supply. Keith Schneider, a professor of food safety at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, told Newsweek that recalls do not automatically mean the food-safety system is becoming less effective.

"No. In many cases, a recall is evidence that the food-safety system is working as it was designed to work," Schneider said. He explained that food cannot be made completely risk-free because it is grown outdoors, handled by people and, in many cases, eaten raw.

According to Schneider, the important part is having systems capable of identifying a problem, determining how serious it is, identifying the affected product and removing it from stores or consumers' hands.

"The goal is to identify problems as quickly as possible and limit their impact," he said. Newsweek also noted that recalls issued across the country have involved a range of potential problems, including foodborne illness, contamination, lack of inspection, and undeclared allergens.

That distinction is worth keeping in mind with the current recall. The fact that FSIS issued a recall does not by itself establish that the entire food-safety system is failing; in this case, it means the agency identified a problem and moved to remove the affected products from commerce.

What Consumers Should Do Now

For consumers, the most important part of the recall is what to do with any potentially affected meat. Anyone who believes they purchased one of the recalled products should not consume it. Consumers should check the available recall information and product labels, keeping in mind that individual packages may have received different retail stickers.

If the product is affected, FSIS says it should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase. Restaurants and retailers that have the affected products should not sell or serve them.

FSIS said it may update the list of recalled products and labels as more information becomes available, while recall effectiveness checks will be conducted to verify that the affected products are removed from commerce.

Consumers with food-safety questions can contact the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854) or email MPHotline@usda.gov.

Anyone who needs to report a problem involving a meat, poultry, or processed egg product can use the FSIS Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System, which accepts reports involving issues such as illness, injury, allergic reactions, and mislabeling.