Recent meat recalls and an expansion of beef imports have raised two questions for shoppers: Is their meat safe, and when will buying it become more affordable?
The recalls require attention to specific products. Meanwhile, early price tracking shows that President Donald Trump’s effort to lower hamburger costs through increased imports has delivered little relief.
Which Recalled Cuts Should You Check?
The Sept. 22 Star Meat Delivery recall covers approximately 167,639 pounds of pork, beef and goat products distributed through Georgia-based A&D Foods. The meat was produced without federal inspection and carried a false inspection number, “EST. 1363.” content.govdelivery.com
Affected beef includes sliced ribeye, thin-sliced chuck, oxtails, short ribs, shanks and beef feet. The list contains more pork entries than beef entries, including ground pork, chorizo, chops, ribs and Boston butt cuts, along with goat products and menudo mix. Ground beef is not listed. If you do not have products matching the recall, this particular notice gives you no reason to discard your meat. content.govdelivery.com
Products were vacuum-packed in bulk boxes for distribution to restaurants and retailers. Stores may have applied their own labels. Shoppers with matching cuts should check for A&D Foods or “EST. 1363,” or ask their store to verify the supplier. Return or discard recalled products. USDA has not provided an earliest production date, so purchase dates alone cannot rule them out. content.govdelivery.com
What About Imported Beef?
A separate Aug. 7 recall involved approximately 29,628 pounds of Argentine beef distributed in Florida and Texas that bypassed required U.S. import reinspection. That was an inspection failure involving particular shipments—not evidence that all Argentine beef is contaminated. It also preceded the latest import expansion. people.com
The recall nevertheless underscores why imported meat requires oversight. Countries exporting meat to the United States must maintain inspection systems USDA considers equivalent to U.S. protections, and shipments must be presented for federal reinspection. Lower tariffs do not themselves waive those requirements. www.fsis.usda.gov
A Lake Geneva Country Meats representative, responding to customers’ concerns in a video, said catching violations also demonstrates that safeguards are functioning.
“This recall shows that the USDA is an effective institution in finding when people aren’t doing what they should be doing,” the representative said.
Imports Target Hamburger, Not the Entire Meat Case
Trump’s August proclamation expanded the lower-tariff import quota by 300,000 metric tons of lean beef trimmings, approximately 661 million pounds, over September through November. These trimmings can be blended with fattier beef to make hamburger. The expansion is separate from an earlier Argentina-specific quota increase. www.whitehouse.gov
Its focus on ground beef means shoppers should not expect comparable discounts across steaks, roasts and other meats. But even hamburger prices have barely moved.
Farm Bureau economist Bernt Nelson reported Oct. 5 that prices tracked at 41 grocery stores in 22 states averaged $7.16 per pound for 80% lean ground beef, down from $7.29 on Sept. 2—a decline of just 13 cents, or 1.8%. Lower import costs do not guarantee that savings reach shoppers; processing, transportation, labor and retail pricing also affect the final bill. lmic.info
The Deeper Problem ss the Cattle Herd
As The Community Voice explained in “Why Is Beef So Expensive? Don’t Expect a Quick Fix”, years of drought reduced grazing pasture, forcing ranchers to buy expensive feed or sell cattle. Those decisions helped shrink America’s herd to its smallest size in roughly 75 years. The Community Voice
Reversing that decline takes more than better rainfall. A cow generally produces one calf annually, and the time from breeding until that calf becomes beef can exceed two years. Ranchers must also keep young females for breeding instead of selling them for slaughter—temporarily leaving fewer animals available for today’s meat supply. The Community Voice
Imported beef can supplement hamburger supplies, but it cannot quickly resolve that shortage. Rebuilding the domestic herd is a years-long process, which helps explain why substantial relief at the meat counter remains elusive.