If you were hoping to serve lamb on Christmas family reunions this year, we advise you to check your freezer. The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued this past December 9, 2025 a massive recall alert for almost 6,000 pounds of lamb meat product. The product was packaged and sold by the company Ghanaianway Restaurant and Grocery LLC, located in Newark, New Jersey in seven different states.
The reason for the recall is that the packaged and froen meat was manufactured and distributed without the benefit of mandatory federal inspection. This absence of any type of approval by laboratories turns the food into a Class I risk, the most serious category for public health.
Lamb Meat Recall on December 2025
The recall specifically targets fresh, raw, salted lamb, a specialty product often known as Koobi. The meat was sold in 15-pound boxes labeled “GHANAIANWAY AFRICAN FOODS SALTED LAMB (KOOBI)”. They were around 5,970 pounds that have been ordered to be removed from the market due to the absence of a USDA inspection seal.
The lamb was produced over an extended period, between March 11, 2025, and December 3, 2025, and was distributed to restaurants and retail stores in:
- Connecticut,
- Maryland,
- Massachusetts,
- Minnesota,
- New Jersey,
- New York, and
- Pennsylvania.
The Class I risk classification means there is a “reasonable probability” that consumption will cause serious adverse health consequences or even death. Since none inspected the meart—and the packing company had little interest in sending samples for inspection—authorities cannot guarantee the meat has passed any minimum standards.
Why must all meat be inspected in the USA?
A federal inspection of all packaged meat sold to the public is legally required in the United States. The FSIS (Food Safety and Inspection Service), an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) makes sure that meat, poultry, and processed egg products are safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled.
The inspection is done at several intervals during the process before it’s sold to the public:
- Ante Mortem inspection, where animals are examined before slaughter.
- Post Mortem inspection, a detailed review of the carcasses after slaughter.
In fact, FSIS inspectors must be continuously present at processing plants. That way they can verrify that sanitary conditions are maintained impeccably at all times. They also ensure that correct procedures are followed to prevent cross-contamination of pathogens like E. coli or Salmonella.
Since Ghanaianway’s lamb lacks this seal, there is no proof it was supervised—nor that the slaughter was done meeting the minimum sanitary standards. Hence, there is no way to guarantee that critical steps that could introduce or allow the proliferation of dangerous bacteria were avoided. This is why the frozen lamb koobi has been deemed automatically unsafe and dangerous for human consumption.
According to public and FSIS records, this is the first official recall involving Ghanaianway Restaurant and Grocery LLC. however, these types of Class I violations occur periodically in specialty and ethnic products that require specific handling methods. For example, in the last months there has been a recall for salted dried fish which hadn’t been eviscerated (which can produce botulinum toxin) and a recall of almost 100,000 pounds of catfish fillet by a different company in September 2025—also due to lack of inspection.
What to do if you bought Ghanaianway Lamb
Do not consume it under any circumstances. Restaurants which received shipments of this meat are strictly forbidden from serving it to the public. You must discard the product immediately or return it to the place of purchase. It is also crucial to clean and sanitize any surfaces (drawers, freezers, counters) that have been in contact with the meat.
For any questions or comments, consumers can contact James Ken-Kwofie of the company directly via email at Ghanaianway2023@gmail.com.
FAQs
What is the lamb that is being recalled?
The recalled lamb meat was sold in 15-pound boxes, labelled as “GHANAIANWAY AFRICAN FOODS SALTED LAMB (KOOBI)” and they lack the USDA inspection seal.
Have there been any reported illnesses?
There are no confirmed cases of illness so far. However, it is still a Class I recall due to the potential contamination during unsupervised processing of the meat.