What a joke!

[Red Robin]

First a recall of ground beef that dates back 2 years is stupid. Secondly destroying up to 143 million pounds of perfectly good beef when there's starving people in the world. Sickening.

 

[PORKER]

California packer makes largest U.S. beef recall
Sun Feb 17, 2008 5:39pm EST

USDA urges new user fees to boost meat inspections


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A California meatpacker accused of animal cruelty is making the largest U.S. meat recall on record -- 143 million lbs, the Agriculture Department said on Sunday.

Most of the meat, raw and frozen beef products, probably has already been consumed, said USDA officials at a briefing. Some 37 million lbs were bought for school lunches and other federal nutrition programs. USDA said there was only a minor risk of illness from eating the beef.

Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co voluntarily recalled all of its beef produced since February 1, 2006. USDA said Hallmark violated rules against the slaughter of "downer cattle" -- that is, animals too ill to walk.

"This is the largest beef recall in the history of the United States, unfortunately," said Agriculture Undersecretary Richard Raymond.

Based in Chino, California, Hallmark/Westland has been closed since early February. Company officials were not immediately available for comment.

The Humane Society of the United States showed videotapes on January 30 showing workers at the plant using several abusive techniques to make animals stand up and pass a pre-slaughter inspection. These included ramming cattle with forklift blades and using a hose to simulate the feeling of drowning.

"A recall of this staggering scale proves that it's past time for Congress and the USDA to strengthen our laws for the sake of people and animals," said HSUS president Wayne Pacelle.

Raymond said the recall stemmed from slaughter of cattle that could not stand at the time of slaughter, although they passed inspection earlier. Packers are required to alert USDA veterinarians in those cases so they can decide if the animal can be slaughtered for food.

In most cases, beef from downer cattle is barred from the food supply. The rule was adopted as a safeguard against "mad cow" disease, a deadly, brain-wasting illness. People can contract a version of the disease by eating tainted products. USDA said there are many other safeguards against mad cow.

'LITTLE HEALTH RISK'

Until now, the largest U.S. meat recall was 35 million lbs in 1999.

USDA said the Hallmark/Westland recall ranked as a minor health risk because it involved a violation of inspection rules rather than proof of contamination. Most of the meat products recalled were beef, but a small amount was ground pork, according to the department.

Announcement of the recall will help the search for beef produced by Hallmark/Westland that may be held in freezer plants.

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin said in a statement that USDA must toughen its inspection measures before animals are slaughtered to prevent future occurrences.

"How much longer will we continue to test our luck with weak enforcement of federal food safety regulations?" said Harkin, an Iowa Democrat. "Federal regulations exist for a reason - to protect public health. For Hallmark/Westland to issue a recall that goes back two years indicates that violations may have been long-term."

Four senior Democrats in Congress, including Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin, told the General Accounting Office on Thursday to investigate the safety of meat in the school lunch program in light of the Hallmark/Westland case.

(Additional reporting by Lisa Baertlen in Los Angeles, editing by Alan Elsner)

 

[Anonymous]

First a recall of ground beef that dates back 2 years is stupid. Secondly destroying up to 143 million pounds of perfectly good beef when there's starving people in the world. Sickening.

Another government "Look good- feel good" smokescreen is all this recall is.....

This recall really has the tv news stations going tonight- showing films of the cows and even letting the PETA/Humane/anti beef folks talk...

Looks like a good place for our checkoff dollars to be running some interference- but its hard to argue with video tapes of downer cows being unloaded from a semi with a forklift- and a USDA administration with a long record of an incompetent inspection/regulation policy.....

 

[Kato]

Don't forget that someone put those cows on the trucks in the first place. :shock:

 

[RobertMac]

Don't forget that someone put those cows on the trucks in the first place. :shock:

These cows come from an industry that has reduced the useful life of a cow to less than two lactations...do you really believe they give a damn what happens to their spent cows???? In my opinion, dairy beef should have a separate label!!!!
The ones that seem to be getting a pass on this is FSIS and USDA...IT IS THEIR JOB TO SEE THAT THIS KIND OF THING DOESN'T HAPPEN!!!!!!!!!!!

And who is going to take the hit on this...it will be the BEEF CATTLE producers!!! When you don't care what happens to your product after it leaves your farm gate, this is what you get! Sad!

 

[PORKER]

Your right Kato. Those persons that loaded those cows had to know the animals health conditions. Also the time of continuious travel would a be a area to look at. Also denisity of loaded animals per trailier.

 

[Yanuck]

First a recall of ground beef that dates back 2 years is stupid. Secondly destroying up to 143 million pounds of perfectly good beef when there's starving people in the world. Sickening.[/quote]

The "starving people" can have my share and my kids share also, can you gurantee that its perfectly safe after what they're saying now about the plant and watching that video?

 

[ranch hand]

First a recall of ground beef that dates back 2 years is stupid. Secondly destroying up to 143 million pounds of perfectly good beef when there's starving people in the world. Sickening.[/quote]

The "starving people" can have my share and my kids share also, can you gurantee that its perfectly safe after what they're saying now about the plant and watching that video?

I agree! But this is what NCBA says. So I guess the inspectors were having coffee when this happened.

We support USDA's recall as a precautionary measure. At the same time, we can say with confidence that the beef supply is safe. We have multiple interlocking safeguards in place in every beef processing plant in America so that if one is bypassed, the other systems continue to ensure the product we serve our families remains safe.

 

[QUESTION]

what a sad commentary!!! People, the reality is that every other country in the world that has BSE or atypical BSE it is recognized you do not use animals showing neuological problems in food for humans let alone focus on using food from high risk animals for childern. Recall, you bet they broke the feedban you know are not supposed to put animals showing illness in the human food chain for a reason. Even disreguarding BSE or BASE you guys saying the meat is safe go ahead and buy up as much of this meat as you can and let your kids and grand kids eat it. So yes this recall is a food safety issue putting banned products in food is illegal.

 

[Mrs.Greg]

Don't forget that someone put those cows on the trucks in the first place. :shock:

These cows come from an industry that has reduced the useful life of a cow to less than two lactations...do you really believe they give a damn what happens to their spent cows???? In my opinion, dairy beef should have a separate label!!!!
The ones that seem to be getting a pass on this is FSIS and USDA...IT IS THEIR JOB TO SEE THAT THIS KIND OF THING DOESN'T HAPPEN!!!!!!!!!!!

And who is going to take the hit on this...it will be the BEEF CATTLE producers!!! When you don't care what happens to your product after it leaves your farm gate, this is what you get! Sad!

:???: :???: :???: :??? Wierd how its different when it affects your industry Ehhh :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

And I agree with Yanuck,why the heck would one even Consider feeding this meat?

 

[PORKER]

The Humane Society of the United States ;Press Release Today
Beef Recall Underscores Need to Protect "Downer" Cows

Yesterday, the USDA issued the largest recall of beef in U.S. history, the latest action in response to The Humane Society of the United States' groundbreaking undercover investigation of a dairy cow slaughter plant in Southern California.

The recall of 143 million pounds of beef came two days after San Bernardino County District Attorney Michael Ramos filed criminal charges against slaughter plant workers caught on video torturing crippled cattle, and two weeks after the USDA shut down that slaughter plant.

Our undercover investigation revealed shocking abuses of "downed" dairy cows -- those who are too sick or injured to walk -- at the Hallmark Meat Packing Company slaughter plant. Cows too weak to stand were dragged along the ground, shocked with electric prods, rammed with forklifts, and even forced to endure water being forced into their noses and throats -- an act right out of the manual on water boarding.


Please watch our investigative video, and then take action today to stop this cruelty from happening again.

Our video of the cruelty is very difficult to watch. Even worse is the thought that an outfit like Hallmark Meat Packing Company got away with this kind of abuse every day, without proper oversight from the USDA.

Urge the USDA to tighten its lax enforcement of the downer rule and to close the rule's loophole -- so that cows who are obviously in no shape to walk are not brought to slaugherhouses in the first place and then abused once they are there.

Thank you for all you do for animals.


Sincerely,

Wayne Pacelle
President & CEO
The Humane Society of the United States

 

[flounder]

First a recall of ground beef that dates back 2 years is stupid. Secondly destroying up to 143 million pounds of perfectly good beef when there's starving people in the world. Sickening.

and this from a rancher in arizona. typical. where's your product going, so everyone can be sure to stay away from it :help:


what part don't you understand red robin $$$


USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has evidence that Hallmark/Westland did not consistently contact the FSIS public health veterinarian in situations in which cattle became non-ambulatory after passing ante-mortem inspection, which is not compliant with FSIS regulations. Because the cattle did not receive complete and proper inspection FSIS has determined them to be unfit for human food and the company is conducting a recall.



http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=2008/02/0046.xml



>>>It also includes the removal of specified risk materials-those tissues
demonstrated to contain the bovine spongiform encephalopathy agent in
infected cattle-from the human food chain, along with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's 1997 ruminant to ruminant feed ban. The prohibition of non-ambulatory cattle from the food supply is an additional safeguard against bovine spongiform encephalopathy. <<<


in my opinion, this is a food safety issue.

SOME FACTS BELOW, this 8/4/97 feed ban usda et al are so proud of was/is nothing but ink on paper. it was never enforced. thousands and thousands of tons of mad cow protein in commerce in 2006 and 2007.
usda et al forgets to add this to their phony statements ;


SRM SPECIFIED RISK MATERIALS

RUMINANT TO RUMINANT ANIMAL PROTEIN IN COMMERCE 2006-2007


http://madcowspontaneousnot.blogspot.com/2008/02/specified-risk-materials-srm.html



Geographical BSE Risk (GBR) assessments covering 2000-2006

Date : 01.08.2006

http://www.efsa.europa.eu/EFSA/Scientific_Document/GBR_assessments_table_Overview_assessed_countries_2002-2006.pdf




USDA CERTIFIED H-BASE MAD COW SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM


http://cjdmadcowbaseoct2007.blogspot.com/2008/02/usda-certified-h-base-mad-cow-school.html


http://tinyurl.com/yul2lw




[Docket No. 03-025IFA] FSIS Prohibition of the Use of Specified Risk
Materials for Human Food and Requirement for the Disposition of
Non-Ambulatory Disabled Cattle

03-025IFA
03-025IFA-2
Terry S. Singeltary

Page 1 of 17

9/13/2005

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/Comments/03-025IFA/03-025IFA-2.pdf


where's that ranch of yours at red robin ???


tss

 

[mrj]

Does no one wonder about the HSUS actions? Or have any concern that they could have found a few 'unhappy', employer hating employees at that plant and set the whole thing up to promote their own cause, namely ENDING ALL PRODUCTIVE USES OF ANIMALS?????? Why else would they sit on such information for months, subjecting even more animals to abuse?

Certainly, I don't condone ANY mis-treatment of animals, nor ANY use of 'downer' animals for human food. With the possible exception of processing a broken legged, or other similar injured animal for use by the owners' FAMILY.

There have been some accusations against the dairy industry., and that plant. It will be interesting to see IF there are any investigations of any others, as well as the plant owners, operators, and employees.

Isn't this Hallmark a relatively SMALL packing plant, probably just trying to compete with the huge 'corporate nasties' some on this site love to hate?

Think about it. Doesn't it also seem reasonable that the people guilty of sending cattle in such poor condition to market are unlikely to be the large dairy operators where a large number of dairy culls would represent a significant portion of income? Wouldn't owners or managers naturally want the best return possible and sell cattle in adequate condition to achieve that end?

Porker don't the states (is it two or three?) that you call 'home' have laws re. health inspection for cattle onto trucks, hours in transit, and loading limits? Aren't truckers and cattle owners responsible for following those rules? Why would responsible cattle OWNERS allow their cattle to be overcrowded or abused when going to market? That is a no-brainer!

This mess is a 'win' only for the HSUS! And some people on this site professing to be cattle producers, who are all too eagerly using it to further their agenda to diminish or eliminate USDA, the beef checkoff, and NCBA.

mrj

 

[ranch hand]

Does no one wonder about the HSUS actions? Or have any concern that they could have found a few 'unhappy', employer hating employees at that plant and set the whole thing up to promote their own cause, namely ENDING ALL PRODUCTIVE USES OF ANIMALS?????? Why else would they sit on such information for months, subjecting even more animals to abuse?

MRJ...if it isn't the employees setting this up, do you think maybe it is the Canadians doing it to show what a joke the USDA inspectors are? :lol: :lol:

 

[Yanuck]

Does no one wonder about the HSUS actions? Or have any concern that they could have found a few 'unhappy', employer hating employees at that plant and set the whole thing up to promote their own cause, namely ENDING ALL PRODUCTIVE USES OF ANIMALS?????? Why else would they sit on such information for months, subjecting even more animals to abuse?

Certainly, I don't condone ANY mis-treatment of animals, nor ANY use of 'downer' animals for human food. With the possible exception of processing a broken legged, or other similar injured animal for use by the owners' FAMILY.

There have been some accusations against the dairy industry., and that plant. It will be interesting to see IF there are any investigations of any others, as well as the plant owners, operators, and employees.

Isn't this Hallmark a relatively SMALL packing plant, probably just trying to compete with the huge 'corporate nasties' some on this site love to hate?
Think about it. Doesn't it also seem reasonable that the people guilty of sending cattle in such poor condition to market are unlikely to be the large dairy operators where a large number of dairy culls would represent a significant portion of income? Wouldn't owners or managers naturally want the best return possible and sell cattle in adequate condition to achieve that end?

Porker don't the states (is it two or three?) that you call 'home' have laws re. health inspection for cattle onto trucks, hours in transit, and loading limits? Aren't truckers and cattle owners responsible for following those rules? Why would responsible cattle OWNERS allow their cattle to be overcrowded or abused when going to market? That is a no-brainer!

This mess is a 'win' only for the HSUS! And some people on this site professing to be cattle producers, who are all too eagerly using it to further their agenda to diminish or eliminate USDA, the beef checkoff, and NCBA.

mrj

MRJ, what is your definition of small? I would also say this is "win" for the kids and anyone else who won't eat this meat due to it being recalled!

Over the past five years, Westland has sold about 100 million pounds of frozen beef, valued at $146 million, to the Agriculture Department's commodities program, which supplies food for school lunches and programs for the needy, according to federal documents.

In the 2004-05 school year, the Agriculture Department honored Westland with its Supplier of the Year award for the National School Lunch Program.
The company, Westland Meat, is one of the largest providers of ground beef to the Federal School Lunch Program.

Hallmark, based in Chino, Calif., supplies Westland Meat Co., a major supplier to a USDA program that distributes beef to needy families, the elderly and to schools through the National School Lunch Program. Westland was named a USDA "supplier of the year" for 2004-2005 and has delivered beef to schools in 36 states.

 

[Red Robin]

MRJ, what is your definition of small? I would also say this is "win" for the kids and anyone else who won't eat this meat due to it being recalled!

Tell that garbage to some woman in Africa holding her starving baby. You guys need a reality check. You sit here on the finest continent in the world with food running out our blooming ears and throw away millions of pounds of food that 90% of the world would love to have.

 

[Anonymous]

MRJ, what is your definition of small? I would also say this is "win" for the kids and anyone else who won't eat this meat due to it being recalled!

Tell that garbage to some woman in Africa holding her starving baby. You guys need a reality check. You sit here on the finest continent in the world with food running out our blooming ears and throw away millions of pounds of food that 90% of the world would love to have.

It would not be Politically Correct to give that woman and baby in Africa something that we won't feed our women and children here... :roll:

Besides- its harder for those tribal chiefs and corrupt government officials to convert beef to cash than it is to just get GW to give them the cash straight out like he's doing now by the Billions $... :wink:

 

[PORKER]

The Question's still beg to be answered? Who was responsible ? The producer for shipping Downers? The trucker for animal welfare? The employee's at the slaughter PLANT. FSIS employees who looked the other way? Or the slaughter plant owner?

2 homes ,MRJ ,TOO cold up North! laws re. health inspection for cattle onto trucks, hours in transit, and loading limits? **** maybe ,Aren't truckers and cattle owners responsible for following those rules? ***Some do , Why would responsible cattle OWNERS allow their cattle to be overcrowded or abused when going to market? *****Good Question?

 

[kolanuraven]

First a recall of ground beef that dates back 2 years is stupid. Secondly destroying up to 143 million pounds of perfectly good beef when there's starving people in the world. Sickening.[/quote]

The "starving people" can have my share and my kids share also, can you gurantee that its perfectly safe after what they're saying now about the plant and watching that video?

I'm with you Yanuck!!!

But they don't ' destroy' the meat anyway I'd bet.

I bet it's sold to pet food, etc and the like.

 

[Yanuck]

The Question's still beg to be answered? Who was responsible ? The producer for shipping Downers? The trucker for animal welfare? The employee's at the slaughter PLANT. FSIS employees who looked the other way? Or the slaughter plant owner?

2 homes ,MRJ ,TOO cold up North! laws re. health inspection for cattle onto trucks, hours in transit, and loading limits? **** maybe ,Aren't truckers and cattle owners responsible for following those rules? ***Some do , Why would responsible cattle OWNERS allow their cattle to be overcrowded or abused when going to market? *****Good Question?

In my opinion every last one of them, top to bottom, from start to finish