A string of food recalls affecting Texas grocery shelves this summer is pushing more Katy-area families to buy beef directly from local producers, and one Fulshear-based rancher says business is growing because of it.
Anthony Thomas, owner of Thomas Cattle & Catering, told KPRC 2 that "more customers are choosing to bypass the traditional grocery-store meat aisle and purchase beef directly from local cattle producers."
Thomas, a former professional bareback bronc rider who won the 2011 Australian Bareback Title before settling in Texas, launched the business during the pandemic when rodeo operations shut down. The company works with Texas ranchers and sells Black Angus beef in quantities from sampler bundles to a quarter, half or whole steer. Customers in Katy and Fulshear can order online and arrange delivery, meetup or direct pickup from the processor.
The cost is steep
A quarter steer runs roughly $1,800 to $1,990, a half steer about $3,035 to $3,240, and a whole steer more than $6,000. Those prices are based on hanging weight, the carcass weight after initial processing, not the final packaged pounds a buyer takes home. Per-pound rates sit at $7.25 for a quarter and $6.75 for a half or whole, according to the company's current listings. Smaller options include the Cowboy Prime Sampler steak bundle at $394.99.
Thomas said customers view the expense as buying several months of groceries in a single transaction, and that the connection to the source of their food is increasingly important to his buyers.
Why the interest now
The recalls stacking up this summer give context to that demand.
On Aug. 11, the USDA announced that Corte Argentino USA LLC recalled approximately 29,628 pounds of raw beef imported from Argentina after the meat entered the country without required federal reinspection. The Class I recall, reported by USA Today, means regulators determined a reasonable probability of serious health consequences. The recalled products were distributed to retailers in Florida and Texas.
On July 22, Midwest Poultry Services recalled roughly 1.59 million dozen eggs, more than 19 million individual eggs, produced at two Texas farms due to possible Salmonella Enteritidis contamination. The FDA and CDC linked the eggs to 98 confirmed infections and 26 hospitalizations across 17 states. Recalled brands included Kroger, Brookshire's and Simple Truth, sold at stores throughout Texas.
Additional summer recalls hit iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico over Cyclospora concerns and fresh jalapeños supplied by Coast Citrus Distributors and linked to a multistate Salmonella outbreak, with affected products pulled from Walmart, Kroger, Target, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods shelves in Texas.
What buyers should ask
Food-safety experts caution that locally raised meat is not immune from contamination. KPRC's report noted consumers buying bulk beef should ask three questions before purchasing: whether the processor is federally or state inspected, whether the quoted price is based on live weight, hanging weight or packaged weight, and whether the producer can trace the meat back to the individual animal.
Thomas Cattle & Catering does not operate a storefront. Orders are placed through the company's website or by phone, with delivery available across the Houston metro including Katy and Fulshear.
