The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued yet another public health alert for raw beef and pork products—and this one is raising questions over labeling issues rather than confirmed contamination.

Here's what you need to know about the alert, and what to do if you have this meat in your freezer.

According to FSIS, the alert applies to beef and pork products produced between April 2024 and March 2026 by Blackwing Meats. The affected items include:

5-lb. box of 8-oz. packages containing a vacuum-packed piece of Blackwing Organic Meats Organic Beef New York Strip Steak, with "Est. 1996" inside the USDA mark of inspection

10-lb. box of 16-oz. packages containing a vacuum-packed package of Blackwing Organic Meats Organic Ground Beef

5-lb. box of 8-oz. packages containing a vacuum-packed package of Blackwing Organic Meats Grass Fed Organic Beef Stew Meat, with "Est. 1996" inside the USDA mark of inspection

5-lb. box of 8-oz. packages containing a vacuum-packed piece of Blackwing Organic Meats Organic Beef Steak Strips, with "Est. 1996" inside the USDA mark of inspection

1-lb. vacuum-packed package of Blackwing Meats Blackwing Beef Ground From Organic Beef, without USDA mark of inspection

12-oz. vacuum-packed package of Blackwing Meats Pork Ground Made From Organic Pork, without USDA mark of inspection

12-oz. vacuum-packed package of Blackwing Meats Boneless Center Cut Pork Chops, without the USDA mark of inspection

The alert centers on inspection concerns—not confirmed illnesses.

As you may have noticed, several of the affected products did not contain the USDA mark of inspection, which is exactly why FSIS is sending this notice. As shared in the release, "The first four products include the unauthorized use of the establishment number 'EST. 1996,' inside a false USDA mark of inspection." It added that the products were "produced without the benefit of federal inspection and may bear a false mark of inspection. Food produced without inspection may contain undeclared allergens, harmful bacteria, or other contaminants that put consumer health and safety at risk."

The affected items were shipped to wholesale and retail locations across the country. FSIS says its investigation is ongoing, and it may add more products to this specific alert.

In a statement to Good Housekeeping, Blackwing Meats president Roger Gerber attributed the issue to employee error.

"A portion of the products was produced by our co-packer under USDA inspection. They were not placed into their retail sleeves but delivered to Blackwing's distribution center in bulk packaging with their inspection on the masters. A new employee took the products out of their masters and placed them into retail sleeves. This was a violation," he said.

According to Gerber, these products could have been sold retail to Blackwing customers online or in a Blackwing retail store with no inspection labeling, but "were not. They were sold wholesale as the co-packer had not done the packaging for wholesale sales."

He further explained that all the organic products were cut in Blackwings' retail store processing room for retail sales, which is inspected by both the Illinois Department of Agriculture as well as the local Department of Health. "These would have been retail-exempt but should not have been placed in Blackwing's retail inspected sleeves that were meant to be sold wholesale," he said.

Gerber added, "The irony is, all of these products were safe to sell to Blackwing retail consumers both by internet and land-based stores, but not for a retailer to purchase at wholesale and sell to their customers."

To rectify the situation, Gerber noted that the employee has been retrained on the proper steps, and the company has created a weekly training program that includes all employees to prevent further errors.

Gerber emphasized that the products themselves were safe, stating that the company has not had any reported illnesses in its 29-year history.

While no illnesses have been reported, FSIS advises consumers to err on the side of caution. If you have any of the affected products in your freezer, discard them or return them to their place of purchase.

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