U.S. Inspection Lapse Triggers Recall of Nearly 30,000 Pounds of Argentine Beef
A U.S. Department of Agriculture notice says Corte Argentino USA LLC recalled about 29,628 pounds of Argentine beef after it entered the United States without the required import reinspection.
Corte Argentino USA LLC withdrew about 29,628 pounds of Argentine raw beef after federal inspectors discovered the product had entered the United States without undergoing the required import reinspection, according to an August 7 USDA notice. The Food Safety and Inspection Service labeled the recall as Class I, the highest severity, even though no reports of illness or contamination have emerged. The beef, produced between May 15 and May 20, bore use-by dates in mid-September and was shipped to distributors and stores in Florida and Texas.
Argentine Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno said the mistake was an administrative error on the U.S. side and not linked to Argentina’s inspection system, which the USDA deems equivalent to its own. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller condemned the oversight and urged shoppers to buy American and Texas beef. Industry groups are using the incident to argue for permanent expansion of Argentine beef quotas and a new quota for Paraguayan beef to help lower U.S. prices.
Why it matters
The recall highlights gaps in U.S. import safety checks and fuels debate over beef trade policies amid rising domestic prices.
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