USDA Beef Recall Video - Hallmark Westland Meat Packing

Every once in a while, we hear about the federal government inspecting something and taking action. I would imagine that if we improved our oversight in industries like this or others, such as the port or employment verification, we would see much more of this type of action.

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.

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On February 17, 2008 The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it was expanding the Westland/Hallmark Meats recall stating that they had not conducted complete and proper inspections dating back to Feb. 2006 prompting the largest beef recall in U.S. history.

143 million pounds of beef has been deemed “unfit for human consumption”. Beef included in the recall was not available for direct purchase by consumers instead it was sent to wholesale distributors nationwide in bulk packages including the National School Lunch Program. It is assumed that the majority of the beef included in this 2 year recall has already been consumed.

The USDA went on to order all beef product included in the recall to be destroyed. This includes the 60,000 lbs of beef currently being held by Minnesota schools. The following is a list of schools in Minnesota who served or are holding beef included in this recall. Local school districts effected are Little Falls, Holdingford, Pierz, and Royalton.

According to the USDA’s website:

Any Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. products in the Federal food and nutrition programs, or its derivatives, must be destroyed and cannot be used or reconditioned for human consumption. All disposal methods must be fully documented regarding type of product and destruction method and witnessed with two signatures. Entities holding 50 cases or less may destroy the product on-site by rendering the product unfit for human consumption according to destruction guidance from the State or local health authority. Quantities greater than 50 cases must be taken to a landfill, incinerated, or sent for inedible rendering. FNS has provided destruction verification forms to all affected States.

Since the criteria for obtaining contracts to supply beef to the National School lunch program is lowest price regardless of how many previous safety violations the facility has been cited for we urge you to contact your legislators and urge them to beef up the saftey standards for beef destine for school lunch.

Fast food chains who purchased beef from Westland/ Hallmark include California based Jack In the Box and In and Out. Reportedly, McDonalds and Burger King resteraunts have not purchase from Westland/Hallmark.

Oh, urp. Torture of “downer” cattle--animals too sick or injured to walk into the slaughterhouse on their own--has led to the USDA's largest-ever beef recall:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the largest beef recall in its history Sunday, calling for the destruction of 143 million pounds of raw and frozen beef produced by a Chino slaughterhouse that has been accused of inhumane practices.

However, the USDA said the vast majority of the meat involved in the recall -- including 37 million pounds that went mostly to schools -- probably has been eaten already. Officials emphasized that danger to consumers was minimal.

The action came nearly three weeks after the Humane Society of the United States released a video showing workers at the plant using forklifts and water hoses, among other methods, to rouse cattle too weak to walk. In addition to issues of animal cruelty, the video raised questions about whether so-called downer cattle were entering the food chain in violation of federal regulations.

”Downer” cattle might carry disease (Mad Cow among them) that could spread to humans. That’s why the USDA has the rule that if an animal is unable to walk into the slaughterhouse on its own, it can’t be turned into food.

My question is, where was the USDA while water hoses and forklifts were being used to push sick and injured cattle into the slaughterhouse? Why did it take an undercover operation by the Humane Society to protect our food supply?

And then there’s this: Although the Humane Society said at least four non-ambulatory cattle had been slaughtered for food, the USDA had repeatedly said it had no such evidence. On Sunday, federal officials said for the first time that they had evidence such cattle from Hallmark had been processed for food.

Again, we have the denials from the government, the “everything’s OK” assertions, and then the inevitable acknowledgment that maybe things aren’t as hunky-dory as the government has claimed. I just wrote about a similar situation last week when the government finally admitted its FEMA trailers are making people sick.

I know all of this nicely supports the Republican view that government doesn’t work and should therefore be drowned in the bathtub. But I don’t buy that line. I think Republican government doesn’t work.

Yes, there have been problems at the USDA under both Republican and Democratic administrations, but I think when you go into government with the mind-set that it doesn’t work, you’re handicapping your ability to make it function. You've got the wrong mind-set.

As far as the food supply is concerned, the fact that much of this ground beef was sent to schools is very troubling. According to the Los Angeles Times, meat from this plant also was sold at CostCo, In-N-Out Burger and Jack In The Box on the West Coast.

I'm a meat-eater, and I'm not ready to go vegetarian. I buy organic meats in the grocery store, but I don't know from a slaughterhouse perspective if those animals enter the food supply any differently from the regular kind.

Anyone still think the USDA "inspection" program actually means anything? This was a Federally inspected plant, supplying meat for school lunches, no less, literally shoving sick and downer cattle into the food supply. And it took a Humane Society clandestine video alleging animal abuse to bring the situation to light.

Makes me damn glad we eat our own beef.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Sunday recalled 143 million pounds of frozen beef from a Southern California slaughterhouse that is being investigated for mistreating cattle.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture forced a recall by Westland/Hallmark Meat Packing Company, the largest beef recall in U.S. history totaling 143 million pounds. The beef produced goes back to February 2006, meaning most of the recalled meat has already been eaten. In that case buyer beware is now buyer burp-ware.

Responses from regulators and management are telling. Here's what the U.S.D.A. said about the largest beef recall in U.S. history:

"We do not know how much of this product is out there at this time. We do not feel this product presents a health risk of any significance," said Dick Raymond, the undersecretary of agriculture for food safety. "But the product was produced in noncompliance with our regulations, so therefore we do have to take this action."

For somebody in charge, Mr. Raymond doesn't know much. After reading his words, I could easily conclude noncompliance with U.S.D.A regulations is no big deal, especially given his implication of virtually no health risk from the firm's actions. What else did he say?

Federal regulations are aimed at preventing the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, popularly known as mad cow disease, and other diseases. Raymond said the average age of the cattle involved is 5 to 7 years, meaning most of them were probably born long after a 1997 ban on a type of cattle feed suspected to cause the disease. He said the incidence of the disease in U.S. cattle is "extremely rare."

Average age is just that, some cows are younger and some are older than the 5 to 7 year range given by the bureaucrat. Most were born after the 1997 ban does not mean all. How many at risk cows were processed, Mr. Raymond? And have any violations of the 1997 ban occurred? Two U.S. cows were discovered to have BSE in 2003, one in Washington state and another in Texas. A third case was found in March of 2006.

Of course the incidence of BSE is extremely rare, but a few cases in Britain caused widespread cattle slaughter to eliminate the disease. Canada's efforts to keep BSE from spreading are even stronger than America's. The NYT piece added the following:

Agriculture officials said there was little health risk from the recalled meat because the animals had already passed pre-slaughter inspection and much of the meat had already been eaten. In addition, the officials noted that while mad cow disease was extremely rare, the brains and spinal cords from the animals — the area most likely to harbor the disease — would not have entered the human food chain.

Might this be a bit of a red herring? Who eats cattle spines or brains? But those dangerous parts still enter the nonhuman food chain in America.

In July 2007 Canada broadened its safeguards against bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, by banning the use of cattle brains, spinal cords, and certain other body parts from all animal feeds, pet foods, and fertilizer.

Management from Westland/Hallmark Meat Packing Company weighed in as well:

In a statement issued February 3, Westland Meat President Steve Mendell said that the company was cooperating with the USDA and that the practices depicted in the Humane Society video are "a serious breach of our company's policies and training. We have taken swift action regarding the two employees identified on the video and have already implemented aggressive measures to ensure all employees follow our humane handling policies and procedures."

Let's see, this serious breach went on for two years under the noses of company management and the U.S.D.A.? That's considered swift action? Why did management not know? In an Abu Ghraib like move, the two former employees were charged with animal cruelty in California.

The news report didn't say anything about financial incentives the employees might have had to process downed cows. Were there quotas or bonuses associated with production volumes?

It's a sad day when to cost of poor quality hits so many people, 37 million pounds went into burgers, chili and tacos in school lunch programs. It's also sad when customers have to beware after consuming.