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Chino,
Calif.-based Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. has voluntarily
recalled about 143,383,823 pounds of raw and frozen beef
products that USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service
has determined unfit for human food because some of the
cattle did not receive complete and proper inspection, USDA
announced on Sunday.
The recall is the largest in U.S. history, dwarfing the
35 million pounds Thorn Apple Valley recalled in 1999. Sunday's
recall encompasses all the beef products Hallmark/Westland
produced over the past two years. USDA officials told reporters
most of the beef has likely already been consumed.
Product that has not been consumed and has gone to domestic
nutrition assistance programs has been on hold since Jan.
30. Westland was actually named Supplier of the Year for
2004-2005 to the National School Lunch Program, to which
Westland was a major supplier for years.
"We do not feel this product presents a health risk of any
significance," Under Secretary for Food Safety Richard Raymond
told reporters, noting the chances of even downer cattle
testing positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy are
extremely low, and that specified risk materials are removed
under FSIS inspector surveillance.
The recall is designated as Class II because there is only
a remote possibility that the beef being recalled would
cause adverse health effects if consumed.
Why now?
USDA said it now has evidence that Hallmark/Westland over
the past two years did not consistently contact the FSIS
public health veterinarian when cattle became non-ambulatory
after passing ante-mortem inspection, which is not compliant
with FSIS regulations.
Such circumstances require that an FSIS public health veterinarian
reassess the non-ambulatory cattle which are either condemned
and prohibited from the food supply, or tagged as suspect.
Suspect cattle receive a more thorough inspection after
slaughter than is customary.
In July 2007, FSIS issued a final rule "Prohibition of the
Use of Specified Risk Materials for Human Food and Requirements
for the Disposition of Non-Ambulatory Disabled Cattle."
This rule requires that a case by case disposition must
be made by an FSIS Public Health Veterinarian for every
animal that becomes non-ambulatory disabled ("downer") after
passing ante-mortem inspection.
The products subject to this recall were sent to wholesale
distributors nationwide in bulk packages and are not available
for direct purchase by consumers. All products subject to
recall bear the establishment number "EST. 336" inside the
USDA mark of inspection. The products range from ground
beef to whole muscle and specialty products that were produced
on various dates from Feb. 1, 2006 to Feb. 2, 2008.
To view a complete list of the recalled products, click
here.
To view USDA's a transcript of USDA's technical briefing
on the recall click here.
To view USDA's Q&A on Hallmark/Westland click here.
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