Based on the known details, this may be one of the shadier recalls we've covered...
You went out of your way to purchase food from what you believed was a health-focused meat seller, and you felt good about what you were putting on the table. That’s just one reason this public health alert is puzzling—but worth taking seriously.
If you’ve purchased Blackwing Organic Meats or Blackwing Meats products recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is recommending you stop eating them immediately. The Illinois-based company, which promotes itself as a seller of “exotic meats” like kangaroo, antelope, and camel, evidently may have fraudulently labeled and otherwise mishandled the merchandising of U.S.-sold pork and beef.
That’s according to a public health alert published this week Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) for seven raw beef and pork products sold under the Blackwing brand. The alert comes after federal investigators discovered the products were made without federal inspection—while some were reportedly stamped with a fraudulent USDA mark of inspection. Products produced without federal oversight may contain undeclared allergens, harmful bacteria, or other contaminants, according to the FSIS.
The affected products were reportedly produced between April 2024 and March 2026 and shipped to “wholesale and retail locations nationwide.” Four of the seven products bear an unauthorized establishment number, “EST. 1996”, inside a reportedly falsified USDA inspection mark. This is potentially a serious federal violation.
From the FSIS site, the seven products under alert are:
- 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 2-6oz Made from Organic Pork,” without the USDA mark of inspection.
No confirmed illnesses or injuries have been reported as of the March 25 report. However, the FSIS is concerned that product may still be sitting in retailer or consumer freezers. Their notice states: “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.”
Anyone who believes they may have become ill should contact a healthcare provider. The investigation is ongoing, and FSIS has indicated additional products may be added to the alert.
For daily wellness updates, subscribe to The Healthy newsletter and follow The Healthy on Facebook and Instagram. Keep reading:
- Bread and Pizza Recalled in Mass Quantities by 3 Major Grocery Stores and a Popular Meal Prep Kit
- The Walmart Cottage Cheese Recall Was Just Expanded to Impact Another Popular Brand
- Garlic Was Just Recalled from a Major Grocery Store at the Country’s Highest Risk Level
- Another 40,000 Frozen Pizzas Recalled for Metal, This Time in 5 States
