A California meat company is recalling more than 8.7 million pounds of meat after health officials reported that the meat originated from "diseased and unsound" animals that were not fully and properly inspected over the past 18 months, the Associated Press reported.
The Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service said Saturday that a recall is underway at Northern California's Rancho Feeding Corporation for products produced between Jan. 1, 2013 and Jan. 7, 2014 and shipped to distribution centers and retail stores in four states, including California, Florida, Illinois and Texas.
Shipments included beef carcasses, beef oxtail, liver, cheeks, tongue and other meats that weighed between 30 pounds and 60 pounds. These shipments bear the establishment number "EST. 527" and each box holds the case code number ending in "3" or "4."
Officials stated that the meat lacked a complete inspection from the USDA Food Safety, due to the poor health of some animals being slaughtered at an unnamed facility. Without a full inspection, the products can be harmful for human consumption.
"Thus, the products are adulterated, because they are unsound, unwholesome or otherwise are unfit for human food and must be removed from commerce," according to a statement by the FSIS.
The recall is reportedly a class one level, suggesting a health hazard situation. Yet the recall neither confirms nor denies that the use of the product will cause "serious, adverse health consequences or death," CNN reported.
FSIS has not reported any illness linked to the meat recall.
In January, Rancho issued a recall for more than 40,000 pounds of meat products produced on Jan. 8 that also failed to get a full federal inspection. The company reportedly called the situation a "slip-up."
Full list of products recalled.
