2/18/08

USDA issues massive beef recall

The USDA has issued the nation's largest beef recall.
A slaughterhouse that has been accused of mistreating cows agreed Sunday to recall 143 million pounds of beef in what federal officials called the largest beef recall in U.S. history. Keith Williams, a U.S. Department of Agriculture spokesman, said investigators have found no cases of illness related to the recalled meat. But Dick Raymond, the undersecretary of agriculture for food safety, said there was a "remote probability" that the meat from the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company in Chino, California, could cause illness in humans. The amount of beef -- 143 million pounds -- is roughly enough for two hamburgers for each man, woman and child in the United States. The largest U.S. meat recall before Sunday came in 1999, when about 35 million pounds of product possibly contaminated with listeria were ordered off shelves. USDA officials said that was Class I recall, involving a known risk to human health. more...
The slaughterhouse has also been accused of abusing cows and slaughtering the lame and infirm. It doesn't have to be like this. While we may argue long into the night about "humane" slaughter, I don't think there's any doubt things can be better than they are now.

1 comment:

TPivnick said...

I AM ASHAMED TO KNOW THAT MY COUNTRY HAS COMPANIES THAT ARE DOING THIS IN 2008. I AM EMBARRASSED THAT WE DO NOT RESPECT OURSELVES ENOUGH TO DEMAND BETTER. I AM MORTIFIED THAT DESPITE OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THESE ACTIVITIES, WE WILL CONTINUE TO PURCHASE BEEF THAT HAS BEEN PROCURRED AT THE SAKE OF AN INNOCENT ANIMALS TORTURE. ISN’T DEATH FOR THESE ANIMALS ENOUGH? MUST WE HAVE SOME COMPANIES DO IT IN SUCH A MANNER AS TO HAVE A TERRIFIED COW MOOING FOR MERCY IN HIS LAST MINUTES OF LIFE?
(written by Susan Faith–please read entire article “Mooing to Death” on www.purplepeople.com)