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USDA orders nation's largest beef recall

By GREG RISLING, Associated Press
Sunday, February 17, 2008

LOS ANGELES -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Sunday ordered the recall of 143 million pounds of frozen beef from a California slaughterhouse, the subject of an animal-abuse investigation, that provided meat to school lunch programs.
     
Officials said it was the largest beef recall in the United States, surpassing a 1999 ban of 35 million pounds of ready-to-eat meats. No illnesses have been linked to the newly recalled meat, and officials said the health threat was likely small.
The recall will affect beef products dating to Feb. 1, 2006, that came from Chino-based Westland/Hallmark Meat Co., the federal agency said.
Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer said his department has evidence that Westland did not routinely contact its veterinarian when cattle became non-ambulatory after passing inspection, violating health regulations.
"Because the cattle did not receive complete and proper inspection, Food Safety and Inspection Service has determined them to be unfit for human food and the company is conducting a recall," Schafer said in a statement.
A phone message left for Westland president Steve Mendell was not immediately returned.
Federal officials suspended operations at Westland/Hallmark after an undercover Humane Society video surfaced showing crippled and sick animals being shoved with forklifts.
Two former employees were charged Friday. Five felony counts of animal cruelty and three misdemeanors were filed against a pen manager. Three misdemeanor counts -- illegal movement of a non-ambulatory animal -- were filed against an employee who worked under that manager. Both were fired.
Authorities said the video showed workers kicking, shocking and otherwise abusing "downer" animals that were apparently too sick or injured to walk into the slaughterhouse. Some animals had water forced down their throats, San Bernardino County prosecutor Michael Ramos said.
No charges have been filed against Westland, but an investigation by federal authorities continues.
Officials estimate that about 37 million pounds of the recalled beef went to school programs, but they believe most of the meat probably has already been eaten.
"We don't know how much product is out there right now. We don't think there is a health hazard, but we do have to take this action," said Dr. Dick Raymond, USDA Undersecretary for Food Safety.
Most of the beef was sent to distribution centers in bulk packages. The USDA said it will work with distributors to determine how much meat remains.
Federal regulations call for keeping downed cattle out of the food supply because they may pose a higher risk of contamination from E. coli, salmonella or mad cow disease because they typically wallow in feces and their immune systems are often weak.
About 150 school districts around the nation have stopped using ground beef from Hallmark Meat Packing Co., which is associated with Westland. Two fast-food chains, Jack-In-the-Box and In-N-Out, said they would not use beef from Westland/Hallmark.Jack in the Box, a San Diego-based company with restaurants in 18 states, told its meat suppliers not to use Hallmark until further notice, but it was unclear whether it had used any Hallmark meat. In-N-Out, an Irvine-based chain, also halted use of the Westland/Hallmark beef. Other chains such as McDonald's and Burger King said they do not buy beef from Westland.
Raymond countered a claim leveled by Humane Society President and CEO Wayne Pacelle, who said a USDA inspector was at the Westland plant for about two hours each day. USDA inspectors are there at slaughterhouses "continuously," Raymond said.
Federal lawmakers on Thursday had called for the Government Accountability Office to investigate the safety of meat in the National School Lunch Program.
Upon learning about the recall, some legislators criticized the USDA, saying the federal agency should conduct more thorough inspections to ensure tainted beef doesn't get to the public.
"Today marks the largest beef recall in U.S. history, and it involves the national school lunch program and other federal food and nutrition programs," said U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, chairman of the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. "This begs the question: how much longer will we continue to test our luck with weak enforcement of federal food safety regulations?"
Advocacy groups also weighed in, noting the problems at Westland wouldn't have been revealed had it not been for animal right activists.
"On the one hand, I'm glad that the recall is taking place. On the other, it's somewhat disturbing, given that obviously much of this food has already been eaten," said Jean Halloran, director of food policy initiatives at Consumers Union. "It's really closing the barn door after the cows left."

That is what happens when we 'leave the land'.....and we are worried about national healthcare......alot of diseases come from food...such as this.... >

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"We don't know how much product is out there right now. We don't think there is a health hazard, but we do have to take this action," said Dr. private Raymond, USDA Undersecretary for Food Safety.

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Officials estimate that about 37 million pounds of the recalled beef went to school programs, but they believe most of the meat probably has already been eaten.

In other words, the meat that's being recalled has already been eaten and there is no issue as far as a recall.  Congratulations, you've just had something with meat at your local school.  This meat will be recalled in 2 years.  Doesn't it sound yummy???

Is it not ironic how they are crying 'animal abuse' WHILE AT THE SAME TIME,  they are being taken to the slaughter to be killed?

And might I add that I am totally against animal abuse. They showed it on the news and it was disgusting. I say shoot the bast***s!!! I didn't even want to eat a hamburger tonight. Perhaps there have been enough animals that have given their life for food for me. I definitely don't eat veal. I won't touch the stuff. Haven't for at least 20 years! I guess I'll have to be a bit more selective on what I eat from now on!

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State: No recalled beef at area schools

By LAUREN STANFORTH, Staff writer
Monday, February 18, 2008

No Capital Region public schools apparently received beef that is part of the largest beef recall ever in the U.S.
     
Brad Maione, a spokesman for the state Office of General Services, said the state tracked the meat to distribution centers in Cheektowaga and Poughkeepsie which was then sent on to 212 schools in the following counties: Orange, Putnam, Dutchess, Rockland and Westchester and Erie, Niagara, Chautauqua and Cattaraugus.
No illness has been reported from the meat, but 143 million pounds of it have been recalled after a secretly taped video from the Humane Society showed that sick cows were slaughtered at the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company in California without being evaluated before hand. That meat is used in the National School Lunch program, Emergency Food Assistance Program and the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations. About 37 million pounds of it was sent to schools nationwide for use as hamburgers, and in chili and taco meat.
Maione said the state is awaiting word on what to do with 330 cases of the meat that is sitting in the schools' freezers.
Maione said the state was able to determine which schools used the meat during various months last year when the Humane Society tape was made. He said the state can't be absolutely positive that other schools might have somehow received meat from other distributors, but they would be alerted to the recall through those companies as well. The state warehouses are the main source of food for the school districts.
The schools' have been holding onto the meat since a federal government announcement Jan. 30.

Whew! what a relief that some other poor slob got to eat it------ ---besides, I'm sure it was all properly labled and all too---ha ha ha ha ha ha

Whats scary about this is that there's still meat out there that was from 2006 to begin with.

uck!

That is a gross thought....and we wonder why rectal cancer is on the rise....we are eating rotting old animal parts.....I need to get out to the farm and kill my own....nah, I'm a lazy slob....