The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a public health alert for a range of raw beef and pork products sold under the Blackwing brand, after determining they were produced without proper federal inspection — and in several cases, carried a false USDA inspection mark.

What’s affected

The flagged items were produced between April 2024 and March 2026 and shipped to wholesale and retail locations nationwide. They include vacuum-packed organic beef New York strip steak, organic ground beef, grass-fed organic beef stew meat, and organic beef steak strips — several of which bear an unauthorized “EST. 1996” mark meant to look like official USDA inspection. Ground pork and boneless center-cut pork chops sold under the Blackwing Meats label were also flagged, some without any inspection mark at all.

Why it matters

Meat that skips federal inspection hasn’t been checked for the things inspection exists to catch — undeclared allergens, harmful bacteria, or other contamination. FSIS says no illnesses have been reported so far, but the agency is concerned some of the flagged product is still sitting in retailer or home freezers, since these are long-shelf-life vacuum-packed cuts.

If you have any Blackwing-brand beef or pork in your freezer, don’t cook or eat it — throw it away or return it to where you bought it. FSIS says it’s still investigating and may add more products to the alert as it learns more.

This isn’t an isolated case — FSIS has issued several uninspected-meat alerts this year covering beef, pork, and goat products from different processors, a reminder that the USDA mark on a package isn’t always a guarantee. If you’re ever unsure about a cut of meat, questions can go to the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854).