Beef Tallow Nationwide Recall as Warning Issued to Consumers
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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A nationwide recall of beef tallow and pork lard products has been announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
Sulu Organics LLC, a food distributor in Illinois, has recalled about 6,166 pounds of the products, which were distributed to locations across the country.
Newsweek has contacted Sulu Organics for comment via email.
Why It Matters
This recall highlights ongoing risks in the U.S. food supply chain when federally mandated inspection protocols are bypassed. Products that lack the USDA inspection mark may expose consumers to unverified safety or labeling risks.
Food recalls are also of great concern to many Americans. A December 2024 report by Civic Science found that 80 percent were worried about food recalls.
Almost half of the Civic Science survey respondents said they did not trust grocery stores or food brands to ensure that their food was safe, with 3 in 10 reporting that they had personally been affected by recalled products.
A stock image of a person cutting beef tallow.
A stock image of a person cutting beef tallow.What To Know
The recall was initiated on June 3, and the products included in the recall were produced on various dates between December and March.
Here is the full list of affected products:
Sulu Nutrition 100 Percent Pure Beef Tallow Fully Rendered-Pasteurized All Purpose in 50-pound boxes, with the lot codes 07192023-4502, 010224-0944 and 080124-7895 and expiration dates of 07/2023-12-2023, 12/2025 and 08/2024-10/2024.
Sulu Treat Your Soul Beef Tallow Rendered 100 Percent Pure Grass Feed Grass Finished in 7-pound plastic buckets, with the lot codes 042225-0128, 042423-4502, 010224-0944 and 080124-7895 and expiration dates of 09/2026, 12/2025, 12/2025 and 01/2025.
Sulu Treat Your Soul Tallow Rendered 100 Percent Pure Grass Feed Grass Finished in 5-pound plastic buckets, with the lot codes 08012024-7895, 07192023-4502 and 080124-7895 and expiration dates of 07/2026, 12/2024 and 01/2026.
Sulu Treat Your Soul Beef Tallow Rendered 100 Percent Pure Grass Feed Grass Finished in 1.5-pound glass jars, with the lot codes 021925-0044 and 012224-0960 and expiration dates of 09/2026 and 01/2026.
Sulu Treat Your Soul Lard 100 Percent Pure Natural U.S. Product Rich in Monosaturated, Saturated and Polysaturated Fats in 4-pound plastic buckets, with the lot code 062824-0072 and expiration date of 01/2026.
Sulu Treat Your Soul Lard 100 Percent Pure Natural U.S. Product Rich in Monosaturated, Saturated and Polysaturated Fats in 7-pound plastic buckets, with the lot code 011825-0072 and expiration date of 08/2026.
The issue was discovered when FSIS received consumer complaints that the products did not bear the USDA inspection mark.
FSIS personnel determined that the distributor purchased the products from a regulated facility and repackaged the product into smaller containers that were relabeled without FSIS inspections.
As of Tuesday, there had been no confirmed reports of illness or adverse reactions following the consumption of the products.
What People Are Saying
Francisco Diez-Gonzalez, a professor and the director at the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia, told Newsweek: "The most important factor in this recall is that the U.S. law requires the approval of an USDA/FSIS inspector at the meat plant whenever production is taking place. In this case since the products lack the USDA mark of inspection, they are considered adulterated, unfit for human consumption, and their sale is illegal. Therefore, they should be recalled."
He added: "Because we do not know under what conditions they were prepared, the product may pose different biological, physical and/or chemical risks to the consumer, but it is hard to tell what specific health consequences."
What Happens Next
The recall is ongoing. The FSIS has advised anyone concerned about a reaction to contact a health care provider. It also urged consumers not to eat the products and to throw them away or return them to their place of purchase.
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