Jackson Free Press

The Associated Press is reporting:

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.

Previous Comments

ID

98661

Comment

If this doesn't make you consider being a vegetarian, I don't know what would. If you haven't seen the video, you owe it to yourself to see these horrifying, unsanitary conditions. Don't kid yourself that this is an isolated incident--these abuses are routine, and the USDA's inspection regime is a joke. The way we are producing meat in this country is immoral and dangerous.

Author

Brian C Johnson

Date

2008-02-18T00:58:38-06:00

ID

98662

Comment

I'm going to play devil's advocate here: If these abuses were routine, why would the USDA recall 143 million pounds of ground beef over them? Because a recall of that scale isn't routine--and it shows, in the clearest terms I can imagine, how seriously the USDA is treating this.

Author

Tom Head

Date

2008-02-18T03:09:51-06:00

ID

98663

Comment

("ground beef" should, of course, read "beef.")

Author

Tom Head

Date

2008-02-18T03:12:55-06:00

ID

98664

Comment

If this doesn't make you consider being a vegetarian, I don't know what would. I thought of the exact same thing myself, though I like being a carnivore. I have stopped eating pork six months ago, though. Could be a start.

Author

golden eagle

Date

2008-02-18T08:36:38-06:00

ID

98665

Comment

Nothing will get in between me and my enjoyment of a beef hamburger.

Author

Jeff Lucas

Date

2008-02-18T10:14:46-06:00

ID

98666

Comment

Here's some fun with meat... for y'all's enjoyment! Mmmm.... Meat!

Author

pikersam

Date

2008-02-18T10:26:55-06:00

ID

98667

Comment

Sure am glad I don't eat cows. (Or chickens, or pigs, or fishes, oh my.) These problems are only going to get worse in this country. At least reject corporate-killed and abused/augmented animals if you're going to eat the critters. It's no more expensive to eat free range, etc., if you cut down on the amount of meat consumed, which is vital for health anyway. It always kills me that people don't want to pay the cost of organic (meat or produce), but will spend $4 on a cup of coffee with whipped cream on top. Or wear an expensive cell phone strapped to their ear. Or spend more than a hundred dollars a month for cable. Or pay mroe than $3 a gallon to drive a gas-guzzler. Lecture over. You get the picture. Long live vegetarianism. It's the future. (BTW, I used to love to eat certain animals, too, just as I've liked doing other things that aren't good for me or society. I simply adjusted my thinking and found new foods to take their places. I've never had a more varied and "gourmet" diet than I do as a veggie. I simply order or cook stuff I would have never tried if there was half a dead chicken on the menu.)

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2008-02-18T10:45:49-06:00

ID

98668

Comment

Tom, Perhaps "routine" is too strong a word and should be replaced by "common." As for the recall, remember that it happened only because the Humane Society went undercover with hidden video cameras. This beef packing plant, which provided millions of pounds of hamburger to schools, was inspected every single day by USDA inspectors who never caught any of the abuses documented here. Had the Humane Society not taped these abuses, the recall would never have taken place. That's why I call the inspection regime a joke. As for why I believe these abuses are widespread, just read a book like "Fast Food Nation." I am sure others have many more resources on the "Jungle"-esque conditions of our meat packing plants. I think it's important to note that most of the meat from this plant was already consumed by the time it was recalled. Good luck, carnivores!

Author

Brian C Johnson

Date

2008-02-18T12:43:50-06:00

ID

98669

Comment

I think it's important to note that most of the meat from this plant was already consumed by the time it was recalled. That's horrifying. See where much of it was assigned to school lunches?

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2008-02-18T13:45:41-06:00

ID

98670

Comment

I heard that the USDA inspection program is over 100 years old. Upgrade???? golden, I stopped eating pork in 1992. Also, I don't eat a lot of beef or fish. I mostly eat poultry.

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2008-02-19T11:23:00-06:00

ID

98671

Comment

They are also short staffed according to an article I read from the Post. It is interesting that much of the meat went to school lunch programs. Between China and the posionus toys and the infected meat sent to our schools, we are messed up!

Author

justjess

Date

2008-02-19T11:32:44-06:00