167,639 pounds of meat from Star Meat Delivery Inc. was recalled in Sept. 2026 for including false USDA inspection numbers. Here's what you need to know.
Why is there a meat recall?
More than 167,000 pounds of raw pork, beef, and goat meat are being recalled because the meat was produced without the federal inspection required for commercial sale. Food produced without inspection may contain harmful bacteria, undeclared allergens, or other contaminants.
Star Meat Delivery Inc. of Lucama, North Carolina, recalled approximately 167,639 pounds of meat after USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service found that the meat had not been federally inspected and bore a false USDA inspection mark with the establishment number “EST. 1363,” which isn’t associated with a facility that has a federal grant of inspection. FSIS says products bearing that number should be considered misbranded and unsafe to eat. However, ready-for-consumer products may not contain the EST. 1363 number on the label, since individual retail stores can apply their own specific label information.
The missing inspection is important because commercially sold meat from cattle, sheep, pigs, and goats must be inspected by the FSIS and pass inspection to ensure that the meat is safe and properly labeled. Without this step, there’s no way to verify that the recalled products met those requirements.
The products were shipped to A&D Foods, a distributor in Georgia, which then distributed them in bulk to restaurants and retailers nationwide. To date, no illnesses or injuries have been confirmed in connection with the recalled meat, but the FSIS is still urging consumers not to eat it. If you have any recalled meat, you should throw it out or return it to where you bought it. And if you experience any symptoms of foodborne illness, contact a healthcare provider.
How do I prevent foodborne illness?
Here are some tips to keep in mind to prevent contamination.
Meat and poultry safety tips
- Ignore “raised without hormones” on chicken and turkey labels. It’s illegal to give those animals hormones. (It’s not illegal to give hormones to cattle and hogs, however.)
- Unless you cook your meat until it’s well done, skip “mechanically tenderized,” “needle tenderized,” or “blade tenderized” beef. It’s been pierced by tiny needles that can push microbes from the surface into the meat.
Deli counter safety tips
The bug to worry about in deli meat is listeria, which can live on the meat, on plastic, on metal, and in water. If listeria contaminates a slicer, it can be almost impossible to get rid of. To lower your risk:
- Make sure the deli clerk puts on new gloves after handling each hunk of meat or cheese, and places sliced meat or cheese on paper when weighing it.
- If you’re over 65 or have a weakened immune system, try packaged deli meat, which is less likely to be contaminated.
- Don’t buy more deli meat than you can eat within a few days. Listeria can grow at refrigerator temperatures.
Tips for checking out at the grocery store
How can I find out more about which foods are recalled?
Each year, roughly one in six Americans suffers from a bout of food poisoning. And harmful bacteria or other microbes can mean more than just an upset stomach. Tainted food kills about 3,000 of us every year. The risk of getting sick is higher if you’re pregnant, under age five, over 65, or have a weakened immune system. CSPI's food and supplement recall tells you what you need to know about the latest, ongoing food and supplement recalls and how to stay safe.
