167,639 pounds of pork, beef and goat recalled after fake USDA inspection mark found

# What happened The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced a recall of 167,639 pounds of raw pork, beef and goat products produced by Star Meat Delivery Inc., Lucama, North Carolina. FSIS says the products were produced without a federal grant of inspection and were labeled with a counterfeit USDA mark showing establishment number "EST. 1363." That establishment number does not have federal inspection authority.

# Which products are affected

# Distribution and labeling risk The recalled products were shipped in bulk to A&D Foods, a distributor in Georgia, which further distributed them to retail and restaurant locations nationwide. FSIS noted that individual consumer packages might not carry the same labeling because retailers may apply their own price stickers or labels. Any product bearing the false "EST. 1363" mark should be considered misbranded and unsafe to eat.

# How the issue was discovered and current status FSIS discovered the misbranding during routine surveillance activities. There are no confirmed reports of illness or injury linked to these products at the time of the announcement. FSIS still warns that meat produced without federal inspection can contain undeclared allergens, harmful bacteria, or other contaminants that pose health risks.

# What consumers, retailers and restaurants should do

• If you purchased or received any of the described bulk or repackaged products, do not consume them. Return them to the place of purchase or discard them.
• Retailers and restaurants that received the recalled shipments should stop selling or serving the products and follow FSIS instructions for disposition.
• Anyone who believes they became ill after consuming the products should contact a healthcare provider.

# Practical next steps

# Why it matters Federal inspection is the system used in the U.S. to identify hazards in meat processing and packaging. Meat produced without inspection lacks that official oversight and may carry biological or chemical risks and undisclosed allergens. When counterfeit inspection marks are used, it complicates traceability and increases the chance unsafe products remain in commerce or consumer homes.