What a joke!

[Mike]

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.

People/Institutions that have the meat on hand have been instructed to dump or destroy it.

"32 Georgia school systems to destroy recalled beef

By NANCY BADERTSCHER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 02/18/08

Thirty-two Georgia school systems, including nine in metro Atlanta, were preparing Monday to destroy thousands of pounds of meat as part of the nation's largest beef recall.

No illnesses have been linked to the meat, which school systems have had on hold since Jan. 30, pending completion of a USDA investigation into California-based Westland/Hallmark Meat Co.



Westland is one of the biggest suppliers of beef to the National School Lunch Program, and the recall of 143 million pounds of meat is believed to be the largest beef recall in history.

In Forsyth County, school officials plan Tuesday to destroy 11 cases of frozen beef patties that were found at six schools and are part of the recall.

Susan Woods, the school system's food and nutrition director, said the meat, valued at $777, will be placed in heavy-duty plastic bags and doused with bleach before being put into trash bins. A supervisor has to witness the meat being destroyed and provide written documentation to the USDA, she said."

 

[Red Robin]

I can't imagine anyone that's ever been around cows would think you can prevent downers. How in the sam hill when someone sells one at the sale barn do you know they are going to make the loading, ride, the unloading and the penning without pinching a nerve, breaking a leg, or slipping and falling. I sat at the local barn a few weeks back where a load of 5 yr old heavy bred cows were sold. They were all healthy and when they were coming in the door, someone whacked on on the top of the back with a sorting stick and she slid on her chin into the ring. Never got back up. They had to drag her out with a stout horse. This is starting to look more like a PETA message board than a ranchers message board. If I'm a trucker and a cow goes down in my trailer and I have another load to go get so I can pay my bills you can rest assured that I'll have a yellow stick in there trying to get the cow up. Shoot I bet some of you men have used hotshots on cows that weren't even down , just to save some time loading or something.

 

[Anonymous]

Q. What must be done with any Hallmark/Westland products or processed items containing Hallmark/Westland products in the Federal food and nutrition programs?

A. 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.


Q. Who is responsible for ensuring that product in the Federal food and nutrition programs is properly disposed?

A. For quantities destroyed on-site, an appropriate person of authority (e.g. food service director) and one other person are required to witness the destruction using approved methods to render the product inedible. In the case of incineration or landfill destruction, two witnesses must be present, one of whom must be an official from the local health department or authority.

http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=2008/02/0048.xml

 

[cutterone]

You know, something of this smells like a carp in the sun.
We know soooo much about the plant but....
Who were the workers? Who was the trucker? Who are the individuals who took the video and why haven't they been on talk shows and news describing the details? What farm/ranch sent these to market? Stanger that HSUS held this for months and as nosey as the media is can't believe we know nothing about these questions.
Can't also believe that every beef association and NCBA haven't jumped on this with both feet clarifing that these were dairy cattle. Sure would be a good time to stop the backlash if you were sincere about damage control and promotion. I've not seen one ad on TV for that.
The humane part speeks for itself, paticularly in today's public views of animal treatment but do we know if these particular animals in the video actually went into the food chain?
Seems like everyone but HSUS didn't do their job.

 

[Mike]

I presently, as we speak, have a heifer that had an abnormal presentation last Friday and is down and will be. Paralyzed.

Called the local slaughter house to ask if I could bring her and grind her.

He said that he couldn't take a downer period. I explained that this cow was paralyzed trying to give birth and the meat would be for my personal consumption............... Didn't matter.

E-mailed the State vet today for some sort of exemption but wouldn't you know............today is a Holiday!!! :roll:

I've seen dairy cows spread eagle slip and fall in the dairy barn and never get up.

Nothing wrong with them at all. :roll:

 

[Red Robin]

I presently, as we speak, have a heifer that had an abnormal presentation last Friday and is down and will be. Paralyzed.

Called the local slaughter house to ask if I could bring her and grind her.

He said that he couldn't take a downer period. I explained that this cow was paralyzed trying to give birth and the meat would be for my personal consumption............... Didn't matter.

E-mailed the State vet today for some sort of exemption but wouldn't you know............today is a Holiday!!! :roll:

I've seen dairy cows spread eagle slip and fall in the dairy barn and never get up.

Nothing wrong with them at all. :roll:

You're the kind of evil cow killer that's giving our business a bad name. The decent thing to do it call the back hoe, buy a concrete vault , bury her, put up a head stone and restore the dignity to the once proud animal. :lol:

 

[Red Robin]

Somewhere today some lady got raped, some kid got molested, and some baby got aborted and stupid stuff like this makes the news. I'm not for mistreating an animal and I don't but you have got to put things in perspective. We're going to bankrupt a business over some moron in the back with a forklift and a water hose.

 

[Mike]

I presently, as we speak, have a heifer that had an abnormal presentation last Friday and is down and will be. Paralyzed.

Called the local slaughter house to ask if I could bring her and grind her.

He said that he couldn't take a downer period. I explained that this cow was paralyzed trying to give birth and the meat would be for my personal consumption............... Didn't matter.

E-mailed the State vet today for some sort of exemption but wouldn't you know............today is a Holiday!!! :roll:

I've seen dairy cows spread eagle slip and fall in the dairy barn and never get up.

Nothing wrong with them at all. :roll:

You're the kind of evil cow killer that's giving our business a bad name. The decent thing to do it call the back hoe, buy a concrete vault , bury her, put up a head stone and restore the dignity to the once proud animal. :lol:

But that cow WANTS me to grind her in to hamburger and feed the family for a few weeks. She's eternally grateful for the care I gave her during her lifetime..............

Plus, she realizes that it's her destiny to be made in to human food. Anything less is an abominable sin in the cow hereafter world.

 

[Red Robin]

I killed a 3 year old heifer that didn't breed back last fall and they wouldn't let me have T bones. :? I appreciate big brother looking out for my best interest. Who knows how we'd would make it if they didn't.

 

[Yanuck]

I can't imagine anyone that's ever been around cows would think you can prevent downers. How in the sam hill when someone sells one at the sale barn do you know they are going to make the loading, ride, the unloading and the penning without pinching a nerve, breaking a leg, or slipping and falling. I sat at the local barn a few weeks back where a load of 5 yr old heavy bred cows were sold. They were all healthy and when they were coming in the door, someone whacked on on the top of the back with a sorting stick and she slid on her chin into the ring. Never got back up. They had to drag her out with a stout horse. This is starting to look more like a PETA message board than a ranchers message board. If I'm a trucker and a cow goes down in my trailer and have another load to go get so I can pay my bills you can rest assured that I'll have a yellow stick in there trying to get the cow up. Shoot I bet some of you men have used hotshots on cows that weren't even down , just to save some time loading or something.

Red Robin,
I have been around cows my entire life I realize there are always going to be downers, I am not a PETA supporter, I also know that cows do go down in trailers and truckers will use a hotshot ( I know, major news flash!) and my husband will even let me use a hotshot running cows through the chute!, (personally I prefer a hockey stick with the blade cut off )BUT, I do not want my kids eating the meat that comes from those kind of cows that were shown on that video. Call me whatever you want, but you won't change my mind, and yes I do think the meat packing plant should go bankrupt because of a moron in the back with a waterhose and a forklift. Where was the Head Moron who should know what's going on in his Plant? ever heard of a surprise walk through?

 

[PORKER]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Monday that it would step up oversight at 900 slaughterhouses in the USA to check for inhumane handling violations like those that led to the biggest meat recall ever on Sunday.
"I don't have reason to believe this is widespread. But the extra checks will give us a better handle on it," said Kenneth Petersen, USDA assistant administrator.
The Humane Society says it found that the USDA inspector showed up predictably, twice a day, at the Westland plant, and workers committed the abuses when he wasn't there. Petersen says the inspector did random checks over a 90-minute period per day. Those checks will be ramped up at other plants for weeks, he says. The Westland plant is closed. Officials did not return calls for comment.

 

[QUESTION]

Sorry guys but if you have an animal that was in good health and because of a difficult calving is paralysed you have a choice put her down and bury it and take the loss or slaughter for salvage, if you go that route butcher the animal yourself and bring in the quartered carcass to a place where it can be cooled or get to gether with a bunch of neighbors and build a cooler and buy a saw and grinder. Afterall you have to pencil in loss in a cowherd and accept it. An old cattleamn once told me that if you don't want to have losses in the cattle business don't get in the business.

 

[Red Robin]

I can't imagine anyone that's ever been around cows would think you can prevent downers. How in the sam hill when someone sells one at the sale barn do you know they are going to make the loading, ride, the unloading and the penning without pinching a nerve, breaking a leg, or slipping and falling. I sat at the local barn a few weeks back where a load of 5 yr old heavy bred cows were sold. They were all healthy and when they were coming in the door, someone whacked on on the top of the back with a sorting stick and she slid on her chin into the ring. Never got back up. They had to drag her out with a stout horse. This is starting to look more like a PETA message board than a ranchers message board. If I'm a trucker and a cow goes down in my trailer and have another load to go get so I can pay my bills you can rest assured that I'll have a yellow stick in there trying to get the cow up. Shoot I bet some of you men have used hotshots on cows that weren't even down , just to save some time loading or something.

Red Robin,
I have been around cows my entire life I realize there are always going to be downers, I am not a PETA supporter, I also know that cows do go down in trailers and truckers will use a hotshot ( I know, major news flash!) and my husband will even let me use a hotshot running cows through the chute!, (personally I prefer a hockey stick with the blade cut off )BUT, I do not want my kids eating the meat that comes from those kind of cows that were shown on that video. Call me whatever you want, but you won't change my mind, and yes I do think the meat packing plant should go bankrupt because of a moron in the back with a waterhose and a forklift. Where was the Head Moron who should know what's going on in his Plant? ever heard of a surprise walk through?

Yanuck in retrospect it appears I was directing my post to yours. I didn't intend to do so. You did bring up some points I addressed but it wasn't just you, I've heard it on the news and in conversation several times. I just see it different than you I guess. Having had employees it's a shame to see everyone who is honest and hard working and thoughtful be punished for the poor judgment of a few. The whole problem at this plant might very well rest on the shoulders of management or the way pay is structured with the plant but then it might not. I wonder how long before we outlaw not only down cows but shelly cows as well? Where will it eventually stop? The same place as the horse slaughter did?

 

[Anonymous]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Monday that it would step up oversight at 900 slaughterhouses in the USA to check for inhumane handling violations like those that led to the biggest meat recall ever on Sunday.
"I don't have reason to believe this is widespread. But the extra checks will give us a better handle on it," said Kenneth Petersen, USDA assistant administrator.
The Humane Society says it found that the USDA inspector showed up predictably, twice a day, at the Westland plant, and workers committed the abuses when he wasn't there. Petersen says the inspector did random checks over a 90-minute period per day. Those checks will be ramped up at other plants for weeks, he says. The Westland plant is closed. Officials did not return calls for comment.

When we had our old plant here in the 70's- thats exactly what they would do too....Slip anything that they thought would not pass inspection in when the inspector was out front having his smoke break or sitting in his car sipping on his whiskey bottle (which was about 1/2 the day)...But they didn't follow any laws on anything usually- shipping reefers of swinging beef to California- and reefers of illegal Mexicans, Hondurans, and Nicarauguans back......That was a Stanko operation too- that had bought the plant from a rancher financed Packer for about a dime on the dollar- when they could no longer compete against the Big Packers, because they refused to use all these illegal/unethical methods....

 

[Yanuck]

I can't imagine anyone that's ever been around cows would think you can prevent downers. How in the sam hill when someone sells one at the sale barn do you know they are going to make the loading, ride, the unloading and the penning without pinching a nerve, breaking a leg, or slipping and falling. I sat at the local barn a few weeks back where a load of 5 yr old heavy bred cows were sold. They were all healthy and when they were coming in the door, someone whacked on on the top of the back with a sorting stick and she slid on her chin into the ring. Never got back up. They had to drag her out with a stout horse. This is starting to look more like a PETA message board than a ranchers message board. If I'm a trucker and a cow goes down in my trailer and have another load to go get so I can pay my bills you can rest assured that I'll have a yellow stick in there trying to get the cow up. Shoot I bet some of you men have used hotshots on cows that weren't even down , just to save some time loading or something.

Red Robin,
I have been around cows my entire life I realize there are always going to be downers, I am not a PETA supporter, I also know that cows do go down in trailers and truckers will use a hotshot ( I know, major news flash!) and my husband will even let me use a hotshot running cows through the chute!, (personally I prefer a hockey stick with the blade cut off )BUT, I do not want my kids eating the meat that comes from those kind of cows that were shown on that video. Call me whatever you want, but you won't change my mind, and yes I do think the meat packing plant should go bankrupt because of a moron in the back with a waterhose and a forklift. Where was the Head Moron who should know what's going on in his Plant? ever heard of a surprise walk through?

Yanuck in retrospect it appears I was directing my post to yours. I didn't intend to do so. You did bring up some points I addressed but it wasn't just you, I've heard it on the news and in conversation several times. I just see it different than you I guess. Having had employees it's a shame to see everyone who is honest and hard working and thoughtful be punished for the poor judgment of a few. The whole problem at this plant might very well rest on the shoulders of management or the way pay is structured with the plant but then it might not. I wonder how long before we outlaw not only down cows but shelly cows as well? Where will it eventually stop? The same place as the horse slaughter did?

You know what they say, one bad apple ruins the bunch! I worked for the county for several summers, so I know what you mean about hard working, honest employees and then... the rest :wink: It is a damn shame that we will all pay for what these idiots did, and something does need to be done to keep things like this from becoming the norm on the news everynight. What that answer is ? I don't know

 

[Anonymous]

Food safety challenged

Citing largest beef recall in U.S. history, policy experts say Congress must fix inspection system


BY DELTHIA RICKS

News Day

February 19, 2008



Congressional hearings should be held immediately to address serious breaches in federal guidelines governing meat-inspection in light of a 143-million-pound beef recall, the largest in U.S. history, food policy experts said yesterday.



Analysts were appalled that U.S. Department of Agriculture rules were flouted at Hallmark / Westland Meat Packing Co., in Chino, Calif., where crippled animals - so called downer cows - were slaughtered for human consumption.



Downer cows, incapable of walking, may carry mad cow disease.



Flawed inspection practices were brought to light in an undercover investigation by the Humane Society of the United States, which found that not only were disabled animals slaughtered for food, they were prodded with pitchforks and dragged by forklifts.



Policy experts yesterday not only called for an overhaul of the nation's antiquated meat inspection system - USDA guidelines date back to 1906 - but also sought a change in the way produce is overseen, a job of the Food and Drug Administration.



A major question posed yesterday is where's the beef? USDA is not required to list the names of retail outlets when tainted products are recalled.


"We don't know if any retailers in the New York area were shipped this product and we think that USDA should disclose it and they should disclose it right now," said Jean Halloran, director of food policy initiatives at Consumers Union in Yonkers, publishers of Consumer Reports.



Consumers Union, along with other advocacy organizations, pressed for change in USDA guidelines two years ago, asking that retailers be identified to help protect public health. Although the disclosure rule was approved, it has not been finalized, Halloran said.



Wholesalers need only list the lot numbers of tainted products. However, retailers repackage beef under their own labels.



Thomas Kullen, vice president of the King Kullen supermarket chain in Bethpage, said his distributor assured him that the tainted beef is not in his stores. "We do not carry any of that beef whatsoever," Kullen said. "I can say that with 100 percent certainty."



A spokeswoman for The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co., parent company of the Waldbaum's and Pathmark chains, said those supermarkets did not receive any of the tainted beef.



Executive offices of the Stop & Shop Supermarket Co., based in Quincy, Mass., were closed for Presidents Day, as were those of Wakefern Food Corp., which operates ShopRite markets.



Consumer confidence in food safety nosedived after the contaminated spinach debacle in 2006. Public opinion could be headed further south in the wake of the massive beef recall, said Caroline Smith DeWaal, food safety director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.



She also is calling for a Congressional hearing with the hope of overhauling the food inspection system.



"We think Congress needs to act to modernize the law," DeWaal said. "There have been several examples over the last several years where our food safety laws are just not working."



newsday.com

 

[Radar]

Does anyone on here know what percent the dairy cull market makes up in lean grind?

 

[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? As for lean, its about %.

 

[Sandhusker]

Does anyone on here know what percent the dairy cull market makes up in lean grind?

I'm thinking 25%?

 

[PORKER]

what percent the dairy cull market makes up in lean grind?

I was checking and found a couple facts at 47% culls make up lean market grind.