EDITORIAL: Bad beef: Lessons learned from the largest meat recall in U.S. history - (Washington Post)
February 28, 2008 – 8:32 pmhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/27/AR2008022703193.html
Not since Upton Sinclair’s 1906 book “The Jungle” has the American meat market, according to this editorial, been this shaken. On Jan. 30, the Humane Society of the United States released undercover video showing employees at a Westland/Hallmark Meat Co. plant abusing and forcing into the slaughterhouse animals that could not stand.
The actions contained in this footage constitute a violation of federal animal cruelty laws as well as food safety legislation. Animals that can’t stand — so-called “downer” animals — cannot be used for human consumption without the approval of an Agriculture Department inspector; the inability to stand can be a symptom of mad-cow disease, and it can also lead to wallowing in pathogen-containing feces.
The editorial says that Westland employees violated the law and the culpability of USDA inspectors in this matter is still unclear. In addition to their regular checks upon animals’ arrival at the plant and their […]
MORE:
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/foodsafety/news/fsnews.cfm?newsid=24598
Related posts:
The sad ending of Topps Meat A rebirth for irradiation? - (FoodHACCP News 5)
WASHINGTON D.C.: Consumers urged not to eat recalled meat - (Reuters)
WASHINGTON, DC: Whole Foods was unaware of beef’s processor - (Washington Post)
NEW JERSEY: Company buying Topps Meat assets for $825G - (Herald News)
US: Beef recall raises worry on industry oversight - (Wall Street Journal/The Denver Post/ABC News/Associated Press)
WASHINGTON: U.S. tightening restrictions on meat and poultry products from Canada - (The Canadian Press)
US: Disparate Federal rules in spotlight, critics cite mixed messages over risk from downer cows - (Washington Post)
US: Huge beef recall issued - (Los Angeles Times/New York Times/USA Today)
Food companies become frustrated with meat recall - (The Wall Street Journal Online)
BLOG: More on Whole Foods’s beef recall - (Boston.com Blog)
US: The biggest beef recall ever - (New York Times)
USDA waits 18 days to request recall of tainted meat - (Chicago Tribune)
WASHINGTON: Brasher: Big beef recalls test trust of USDA worldwide - (Des Moines Register)
US: Meat recall alerts retailers, not consumers - (Chicago Tribune)
CHICAGO: USDA warns changes could delay recalls - (Reuters)
WASHINGTON: Humane Society grilled on not advising USDA about Hallmark - (Meatingplace.com)
WASHINGTON D.C.: Technology to make beef safer - (Washington Post)
US: Hillary Clinton unveils food safety plan - (YubaNet.com)
WASHINGTON: Schools keep beef off menus - (Seattle-Post Intelligencer)
WASHINGTON: Beef’s wake-up recall - (Washington Post)
BLOG: Kroger recalls meat from 20 states due to E. coli risk - will Nebraska beef recall even more than the 265 tons in the morning? - (Marler Blog)
OPINION: USDA can do better - (Los Angeles Times)
Creepy creeping beef recall continues in Canada - (barfblog)
USDA says has enough legal authority to do recalls - (ABC News)
NEW JERSEY: Topps calls it quits after beef recall - (Associated Press)
COMMENTARY: A memorable food year, especially for recalls - (The Buffalo News)
USMEF monitoring international reactions to historic beef recall - (Meatingplace.com)
CALIFORNIA: Six months later, did the Chino beef recall produce benefits? - (The Press-Enterprise)
US: Using DNA traceability to track meat and ensure safety - (Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News)
NEW JERSEY: Topps will liquidate company after massive beef recall - (Associated Press)
WASHINGTON: Increase of E. coli found in beef products - (Washington Post)
US and CANADA: Beef recalled by Whole Foods fell into regulatory gray area - (Washington Post)
MARLER BLOG: William D. Marler, Food Safety Attorney - (Marler Blog)
NEW JERSEY: Many red flags preceded a beef recall - (New York Times)
US: Meat recalls point to possibility threat is growing - (USA Today)
USDA bills Hallmark $67 million from recall - (Meatingplace.com)
WASHINGTON: How to ensure food safety - (The Washington Post)
CALIFORNIA: Calif. legislation proposes tougher penalties for processing downers - (Meatingplace.com)
WASHINGTON, DC: Nebraska firm expands recall of beef products due to possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination - (FSIS News Release)
US: Meat recall sparks calls for food safety changes - (Wall Street Journal)
WASHINGTON: DeLauro to push food act again - (The Hartford Courant)
MASSACHUSETTS: E. coli cases traced to Whole Foods beef - (Boston Globe)
Statement of CFA’s Chris Waldrop on USDA announcement to identify retail stores where recalled meat has been sold - (Consumer Federation of America)
Agriculture official calls U.S. meat supply safe - (Wall Street Journal/Associated Press)
Beef supplier remains unidentified in Topps recall - (Lancaster Farming)
Inspectors didn’t catch cattle abuse in CALIFORNIA - (Des Moines Register)
Whole Foods E. coli cases traced to NEBRASKA Beef Ltd., meat? - (Marler Blog)
INDIANA: Only congress can fix food safety problem - (SouthBendTribune.com)
HARTFORD: Close tainted-meat loophol - (The Hartford Courant)
NEW JERSEY: Suit filed against meat plant, markets - (Associated Press)
FLORIDA: Is the USDA really ‘on the job’? - (Lakeland Ledger (Editorial))
Meatpacker to shut down in wake of massive recall - (Wall Street Journal)
US: HSUS President testifies at congressional hearing on food safety and humane handling compliance by meat industry - (Humane Society)
WASHINGTON: Food safety rules tightened after E. coli recall - (Reuters/ USA Today)
US: Food inspectors overwhelmed by workload - (Chicago Tribune)
MARLER BLOG: Nebraska Beef recalls more E. coli contaminated beef product - (Marler Blog)
OHIO: Ground beef recall hits more than 20 states - (USA Today)
NEW JERSEY: Put food safety first - (New Jersey Star-Ledger)
How Pilgrim’s Pride survived its meat recall - (Globe and Mail)
WASHINGTON, DC: California firm recalls ground beef products due to possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination - (USDA News Release)
The science of E. coli in beef, that is “political science” - (Marler Blog)
OHIO: Recall mystery: Where’s the beef? - (Columbus Dispatch)
OPINION: Eat, drink and be careful - (Washington Post)
WASHINGTON: Illinois firm recalls beef products due to possible E. coli 0157:H7 contamination - (USDA FSIS Press Release)
The Humane Society of the UNITED STATES sues to keep sick and injured cows out of food supply: USDA loophole contributed to the largest beef recall in U.S. history - (from a press release)
WASHINGTON: Meat inspectors can’t keep up, official says - (The Wall Street Journal)
One Maine E. coli case traced to nationwide recall - (Lincoln County News)
US: Clone-free milk could get label: Firms also offer to mark meat to help shoppers - (Washington Post)
WASHINGTON: Live from USDA: Agency to determine soon if Hallmark was isolated incident - (Meatingplace.com)
Jolley: Five minutes with Scott Crain - (Cattle Network)
Westland/Hallmark beef recall and others rocking the beef industry - (The Orange County Register)
WASHINGTON, DC: New Jersey firm recalls ground beef products due to possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination - (USDA FSIS)
CALIFORNIA: Calif. meat worker: I was following orders - (Associated Press/USA Today)
OHIO firm expands recall of ground beef products due to possible E. Coli O157:H7 contamination - (USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service)
US: Massive federal recall demonstrates need to strengthen, not dismantle federal food safety system - (Consumer Federation of America)
CALIFORNIA firm recalls ground beef products due to possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination - (USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service)
NEBRASKA: Meat processors look for ways to keep ground beef safe - (New York Times)
FSIS provides update on Topps meat company recall investigation - (USDA News Release)
US: Food safety officials to review procedures after lapses in recall of tainted beef - (New York Times)
WASHINGTON: Marler Clark files E. coli lawsuit against Oregon meat supplier - (from a press release)
LOS ANGELES: Schools scramble to find questionable meat - (Los Angeles Times)
EDITORIAL: Common sense must guide food safety policy - (Cattle Network)
NEBRASKA Firm expands recall of beef products due to possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination - (USDA Food Safety and Inspection Services)
BARFBLOG: USDA says Nebraska Beef doesnt know how to manage shit - (barfblog)
NEW YORK: Fourth E. coli victim not linked to Yonkers supermarket’s meat recall - (The Journal News)
CANADA: Beef recall comes too late for action, complains Winnipeg store owner - (CBC.CA News)
WASHINGTON, DC: Raymond defends USDA recall policies at hearing - (Meatingplace.com)
NEW JERSEY: USDA papers: Burger recall followed riskier procedures - (Fort Mill Times)
WASHINGTON: Putting food safety first - (The Washington Post)
WASHINGTON beef water system operator under fire for E. coli incident - (Meatingplace.com)
SEATTLE: Marler Clark files E. coli lawsuit against Oregon meat supplier - (Press Release)
NEW JERSEY: Military recalls beef potentially contaminated by E. coli - (Newsday.com/Associated Press)
CHICAGO: Get E. coli off the menu - (Chicago Sun-Times)
CALIFORNIA: Media focuses on school lunch program aspect of Hallmark/Westland beef recall - (Meatingplace.com)
OPINION: Hard to stomach - (Los Angeles Times)
OPINION: Broken food chain - (Arizona Republic)
US: More beef might be tainted, states told - (The Columbus Dispatch)
US: The new food inspector: you - (Washington Post)
WASHINGTON: E. coli loophole cited in recalls - (The Chicago Tribune)
WISCONSIN: New E. coli illness in Wisconsin identical to strain in Cargill recall - (Meatingplace.com)