Imported raw beef recalled for lack of re-inspection – And it’s not lean trim!

The industry promotes the need for imported beef to provide lean trim for blending with the extra fat from our domestic finished animals. Notice the list of items being recalled – “BONELESS RIBEYE ROLL”. Cheap, below-cost-of-production imported beef is a primary reason why small meat plants can’t survive in the wholesale restaurant, hotel and institutional market (HRI), and why this market is known to be the place small plants go to die. Mike C.

Imported raw beef recalled for lack of re-inspection

By Susan Kelly on 6/18/2020

La Bodega Meat LLC of Farmers Branch, Texas, is recalling about 83,038 pounds of raw beef products that were not presented for import re-inspection into the United States, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said Wednesday.

The various raw beef items were imported on June 2 and June 3, 2020. The following products are subject to recall:

  • 51.90-lb. boxes containing various cuts of beef. Those include:
  • “BONELESS RIBEYE ROLL”
  • “FLANK STEAK”
  • “FRESH BONELESS BRISKET”
  • “FRESH EYE OF ROUND”
  • “FRESH FLAP MEAT”
  • “FRESH INSIDE SKIRT”
  • “FRESH OUTSIDE ROUND”
  • “FRESH TOP SIRLOIN”
  • “INSIDE ROUND”
  • “OUTSIDE SKIRT”
  • “PEELED KNUCKLE”
  • “SHOULDER CLOD”

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “ESTABLISHMENT 5” inside the foreign mark of inspection. The boxes also contain shipping marks 0671-20 or 0627-20. These items were shipped to distributor locations in Arkansas, Missouri and Texas for foodservice and retail sales. Product at the retail level will not have any unique identifying labels.

The problem was discovered during routine FSIS surveillance activities of imported products.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. FSIS is concerned that some product may be in refrigerators or freezers. Distributors in possession of these products are urged not to further distribute them. Retailers who have obtained these products are urged not to sell them. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.