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Meat processor at center of national recall is sold

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Rancho Feeding Corp., a Petaluma meat processor under federal investigation after recalling nearly 9 million pounds of beef earlier this month, is being bought by an artisanal Marin County farm specializing in pasture-raised livestock.

Marin Sun Farms in Point Reyes Station, which is located along a national seashore 40 miles north of San Francisco, has submitted a request to take over Rancho Feeding’s operations, federal inspectors said Thursday.

“Rancho Feeding has submitted a letter stating it is ceasing operations and voluntarily withdrawing from inspection,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service said in a statement. “Marin Sun Farms has submitted an application to operate a new federal establishment at the former Rancho Feeding location. FSIS will review the application in accordance with our regulations and policies to ensure the firm meets requirements.”

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A spokesman for Marin Sun Farms confirmed the sale but declined to elaborate. Calls to Rancho Feeding went unanswered Thursday afternoon.

Rancho Feeding is at the center of a massive recall involving thousands of retail chains, including Kroger, Food 4 Less and Walmart, for processing and selling “diseased and unsound animals” without a full federal inspection, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said.

On Tuesday, Nestle issued a voluntary recall of its Philly Steak and Cheese flavored Hot Pockets after it discovered a supplier had bought meat from Rancho Feeding.

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There are no reported illnesses linked to the company’s meat, but the firm is being probed for criminal wrongdoing by the USDA’s inspector general.

A spokesman for the USDA said the investigation will continue after the sale is complete.

Marin Sun Farms is a specialty purveyor of beef, pork, poultry and lamb that promotes local and sustainable farming practices. Prices aren’t cheap. A pair of bone-in ribeye steaks cost $72.

The company had reportedly contracted Rancho Feeding to slaughter some of its livestock. The number of slaughterhouses are dwindling nationwide, creating a bottleneck in processing ever more popular high-end meats in regions like the Bay Area.

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