The USDA recalled nearly 30,000 pounds of Argentine beef sold in Texas and Florida after the shipment entered the United States without undergoing a required federal inspection, the Food Safety and Inspection Service announced in August 2026.
Corte Argentino USA LLC, based in Aventura, Florida, recalled approximately 29,628 pounds of raw beef imported from Argentina, according to the USDA notice issued August 7. The recall includes five boneless beef cuts produced between May 15 and May 20, 2026, with use-by and freeze-by dates between September 15 and September 20.
The beef was classified as a Class I recall, the USDA’s highest risk level, which indicates a situation where there is a reasonable probability that the product could cause serious adverse health consequences or death. However, the agency reported no confirmed cases of illness or injury linked to the recalled products. The problem was discovered during routine FSIS inspection activities.
Import reinspection is a mandatory step in the U.S. meat import process. When beef arrives from abroad, federal inspectors must verify documents, labels, packaging, and the condition of the product before it can enter commerce. In this case, that required check never occurred, and the beef moved directly into distribution channels.
The recalled products were shipped to distributors and retailers across Florida and Texas. The FSIS advised consumers not to consume the beef and to either discard it or return it to the place of purchase.
Argentine Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno said the importing company took responsibility for the lapse. The company described the incident as “an administrative error that occurred in the United States, with no relation to the exporting establishment or to the Argentine sanitary or safety system,” according to Quirno’s statement.
The USDA has determined that Argentina’s meat inspection system is equivalent to the American system, yet Argentine beef must still receive import reinspection upon arrival in the U.S. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller called the oversight unacceptable. “Nearly 30,000 pounds of Argentine beef made it into American commerce without receiving the required federal import reinspection,” Miller said in an August 12 statement. “That is unacceptable.”
The recall comes as beef prices remain elevated in the U.S., with the average price of ground beef reaching $6.89 per pound in July 2026, about 10% higher than one year earlier, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Trump administration expanded Argentine beef imports earlier in 2026 to help address price pressures, adding 80,000 metric tons to the import quota through a February proclamation.
Similar food recalls tied to missed USDA inspections have occurred in recent months, reflecting broader challenges in the inspection system. The missed Argentine beef inspection highlights vulnerabilities in the oversight process even as the U.S. relies heavily on imported protein.
Sources
- USA Today — confirmed recall details, product descriptions, and consumer guidance
- The Center Square — import reinspection requirements, Argentine Foreign Minister statement, Texas Commissioner Sid Miller statement, beef pricing context, and Trump administration import quota expansion
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service — official recall notice and Class I classification
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — ground beef price data
