USDA Recalls 83 Tons of Meat, Saying Labels Were Falsified
More than 83 tons of meat are being recalled across the US because the products were not properly inspected by federal authorities and were shipped out with falsified inspection stickers, the Department of Agriculture said. Star Meat Delivery Inc., based in Lucama, North Carolina, is recalling more than 167,000 pounds of raw pork, beef, and goat nationwide. The USDA said that number could grow as it continues its investigation, the AP reports. The company issued a statement in its defense.
Food produced without inspection may contain undeclared allergens, harmful bacteria, or other contaminants, the agency said Tuesday. So far, there have been no confirmed reports of illnesses or injuries from the meats, according to the USDA. The meat in question was produced "on various dates" before Sept. 22 and has USDA inspection stickers falsely bearing an establishment number—EST. 1363—that the agency said "does not have a federal grant of inspection." However, some packages may not bear that labeling because retail stores applied their own stickers with pricing and safe handling instructions, the agency warned. The products were shipped to Georgia distributor A&D Foods to send to retail and restaurant locations nationwide. The USDA said the products should be considered misbranded and unsafe to eat and be discarded or returned to the place of purchase.
Star Meat Delivery, in a post on its Facebook page Thursday, pushed back at the notion that the inspection stamps on its products were somehow falsified. It said the establishment number in question was "legitimately reserved" as part of the USDA application process while it seeks approval to process and package meat for the Georgia distributor. That approval process is still underway, Star Meat said, though the meat involved was sourced from a USDA-inspected supplier. "No other products sold by Star Meat Delivery were mislabeled, and no other products sold by Star Meat Delivery are part of the recall that has been issued," said the company, which added that it's cooperating with the recall.
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Written by Newser Editors and Wire Services | September 24, 2026 | Newser, LLC
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