Ground Beef Recall : Beef Packers, Inc., a Fresno, California, Recalls 825,769 pounds of ground beef due to salmonellosis Outbreak

Class I Recall
Beef Packers, Inc., a Fresno, Calif., establishment, is recalling approximately 825,769 pounds of ground beef products that may be linked to an outbreak of salmonellosis, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.
Recallr: Beef Packers, Inc., a Fresno, California, Recalls 825,769 pounds of ground beef due to salmonellosis Outbreak
Tags: Beef Recall, USDA Alert, salmonellosis, FSIS Recall, Beef Packers Recall, Salmonella

USDA To Ban Downer Cows From Slaughter Houses.

Secretary of Agriculture has announced plans to remove the loophole that slaughter houses were using to slaughter downer cows, non ambulatory or injured cows, and introduce those meat in to the food chain. The recently discovered violations by Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company in Chino, California that prompted largest beef recall in the history. According to the following statement, secretary has instructed FSIS to draft a proposed rule to remove the exception that allows certain injured cattle to proceed to slaughter. This action is expected to provide additional efficiencies to food safety inspection by removing the step that requires inspection workforce to determine when non-ambulatory cattle are safe to slaughter.
We all have to thank humane society of America for discovering and reporting the perpetrators.


AGRICULTURE SECRETARY ED SCHAFER ANNOUNCES PLAN TO END EXCEPTIONS TO ANIMAL HANDLING RULE

WASHINGTON, May 20, 2008- One day after I was sworn in as Secretary of Agriculture, I learned of the illegal acts of inhumane handling that took place at the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company in Chino, California. I immediately called upon the Office of the Inspector General and the Food Safety and Inspection Service to determine how this happened and what could be done in the future to ensure that animals are treated humanely.

I told the American people and the United States Congress that I was going to treat this issue with the utmost urgency, and do everything in my power to appropriately address this problem and work to strengthen consumer confidence in our food supply. We found clear evidence that rules weren't being followed which resulted in USDA calling for the largest beef recall in American history – a clear sign that we took these inhumane violations seriously. Rules have purpose, and when you violate them, there are consequences.

I felt it was important to take proactive steps to assess the state of humane handling activities in cattle slaughter establishments while the OIG and FSIS investigations are ongoing, and on February 28, I instructed FSIS to initiate a number of interim action items related to inhumane handling.

The 60-day enhanced surveillance period concluded on May 6 and while we are still analyzing those results, today I am announcing that USDA will begin working on a proposed rule to prohibit the slaughter of all disabled non-ambulatory cattle, also know as "downer cattle." In other words, I am calling for the end of the exceptions in the so called "downer rule."

Last year, of the nearly 34 million cattle that were slaughtered, under 1,000 cattle that were re-inspected were actually approved by the veterinarian for slaughter. This represents less than 0.003 percent of cattle slaughtered annually. As you can see, this number is minimal.

The current rule, which focuses on cattle that went down after they have already passed pre-slaughter inspection, has been challenging to communicate and has, at times, been confusing to consumers.

To maintain consumer confidence in the food supply, eliminate further misunderstanding of the rule and, ultimately, to make a positive impact on the humane handling of cattle, I believe it is sound policy to simplify this matter by initiating a complete ban on the slaughter of downer cattle that go down after initial inspection.

FSIS will draft a proposed rule to remove the exception that allows certain injured cattle to proceed to slaughter. This action is expected to provide additional efficiencies to food safety inspection by removing the step that requires inspection workforce to determine when non-ambulatory cattle are safe to slaughter.

The decision to ban all non-ambulatory cattle from slaughter will positively impact the humane handling of cattle by reducing the incentive to send marginally weakened cattle to market.

Cattle producers, transporters and slaughter establishments alike will be encouraged to enhance humane handling practices, as there will no longer be any market for cattle that are too weak to rise or walk on their own.

In February, I said that we would look into every option, and more importantly, we would listen and base our decisions on sound policy. I believe this announcement today strikes the right balance, and will benefit our efforts to not only improve consumer confidence, but improve the humane handling of animals.

Tags: USDA, FSIS, Beef Recall, Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company, recallr, Secretary of Agriculture

Secretary of Agriculture's Statement Regarding Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company.

Statement by Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer Regarding Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company Two Year Product Recall
February 17, 2008


"Today, USDA is announcing additional actions as a result of the ongoing investigation at Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company. 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.

The United States enjoys one of the safest food supplies in the world. To help ensure the safety of the food supply, we implement a series of safeguards to protect against foodborne disease. These safeguards include in-plant procedures to reduce dangerous foodborne pathogens such as E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella. 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.

Upon notification of possible violations of USDA regulations, we immediately began an investigation and placed products from this plant destined for the National School Lunch Program, the Emergency Food Assistance Program and the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations on hold. Since then, we also suspended all Federal food and nutrition program contracts with Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company. To date, Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company remains suspended by the Food Safety and Inspection Service. The products destined for the Federal food assistance programs, including the National School Lunch Program, will now be removed from schools and other holding facilities and destroyed.

I am dismayed at the in-humane handling of cattle that has resulted in the violation of food safety regulations at the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company. It is extremely unlikely that these animals were at risk for BSE because of the multiple safeguards; however, this action is necessary because plant procedures violated USDA regulations.

In addition, our Office of the Inspector General and the Food Safety and Inspection Service continue the investigation. We will respond immediately if further findings warrant. Details about this recall and USDA actions are available at www.usda.gov/actions . "

tag: Beef Recall, USDA recall, Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company, Hallmark/Westland Meat Recall, Secretary of Agriculture, FSIS regulations, FSIS, foodborne disease,

Government Looks At Meat Production After Larget Meat Recall In History.

WSJ is reporting that Lawmakers and government investigators seized on the largest meat recall in U.S. history to set the table for changes in the nation's food-safety system, especially as it applies to school lunches.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the Connecticut Democrat who heads a House subcommittee overseeing the Agriculture Department's budget, scheduled two food-safety hearings for March, at which top department officials are expected to testify. Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Herb Kohl, chairman of a subcommittee on agriculture appropriations, has tentatively scheduled a hearing for Feb. 28. Meanwhile, Congress's investigative arm, the Government Accountability Office, plans to look at food safety in the federal school-lunch program, which is run by the Agriculture Department.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee, whose investigators have studied food-safety issues for more than a year, has invited top executives from a half-dozen food processors, including the president of Hallmark/Westland, to a hearing Tuesday on the beef recall and other safety issues.

Under rules designed to prevent mad-cow disease, meat companies are required to report downer cows to federal authorities. An Agriculture Department rule, finalized in July 2007, allows federal veterinarians to make a case-by-case decision on such cattle; some cattle, such as those with a broken leg, are still likely to be slaughtered for meat.

But businesses don't always follow the rules. In a 2006 report, the Agriculture Department's inspector general found that most companies visited didn't have adequate plans to reduce the risk of transmitting mad-cow disease, and that the department "did not always identify these deficiencies."

tag: Beef Recall, mad-cow disease, Hallmark/Westland, Agriculture Department,

Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co., Recalls 143 million pounds of Beef.

The USDA, (U.S. Department of Agriculture) on Sunday ordered the recall of 143 million pounds of beef from Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co., a Chino, Calif.,, the subject of an animal-abuse investigation, that provided meat to school lunch programs. (This is the only video I could find on YouTube.)


WASHINGTON, Feb. 17, 2008 – Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co., a Chino, Calif., establishment, is voluntarily recalling approximately 143,383,823 pounds of raw and frozen beef products that FSIS has determined to be unfit for human food because the cattle did not receive complete and proper inspection. Through evidence obtained by FSIS, the establishment 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. 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. This noncompliant activity occurred occasionally over the past two years and therefore all beef product produced during the period of time for which evidence indicates such activity occurred has been determined by FSIS to be unfit for human consumption, and is, therefore, adulterated. This recall is designated as Class II due to the remote probability that the beef being recalled would cause adverse health effects if consumed. FSIS made this determination because the animals passed ante-mortem inspection but should have been identified as suspect requiring additional inspection after slaughter to determine if there is evidence of disease, injury, or other signs of abnormalities that may have occurred after ante-mortem inspection. 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 prohibition of downer cattle from entering the food supply is only one measure in an interlocking system of controls the federal government has in place to protect the food supply. The government has multiple safeguards regarding BSE in place and the prevalence of the disease in the United States is extremely low. Other BSE security measures include the feed ban that prohibits feeding ruminant protein to other ruminants and an ongoing BSE surveillance program that began before the confirmation of the first BSE positive cow in the U.S. in 2003. As another measure to reduce the risk of potential exposure to consumers, FSIS requires the removal of specified risk materials (SRM) so they do not enter the food supply. Several FSIS line inspectors are stationed at designated points along the production line where they are able to directly observe SRM removal activities.
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 were produced on various dates from Feb. 1, 2006 to Feb. 2, 2008. Companies are urged to check their inventories and hold the products until the recalling firm makes arrangements for final disposition of the products.
USDA Press Release, PDF
tag: USDA recall, food recall, Beef Recall, Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing, Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing recall, animal-abuse, FSIS, adulterated beef, Non-Ambulatory Disabled Cattle

Rochester Meat Company, a Rochester, Minn., recalls 188,000 pounds of ground beef products Due To contamination with E. coli O157:H7

Recall Release	CLASS I RECALL
FSIS-RC-002-2008	HEALTH RISK: HIGH

Congressional and Public Affairs
(202) 720-9113
Laura Reiser

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2008 - Rochester Meat Company, a Rochester, Minn., is voluntarily recalling approximately 188,000 pounds of ground beef products because they may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.

The problem was discovered through an investigation initiated by the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services and the California Department of Public Health into five illnesses in Wisconsin and one illness in California. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a physician.
The ground beef products subject to recall were produced on Oct. 30, 2007, and Nov. 6, 2007. The products subject to recall were shipped to distributors nationwide for further distribution to restaurants and food service institutions. These products were not available for purchase by consumers in retail establishments.

The following products are subject to recall:

• 10-pound boxes of “SEASONED BEEF BULK” bearing a product number of “09068,” as well as an eight-digit lot number beginning with “730314.”
• 10-pound boxes of “100% PURE BEEF PATTIES” bearing a product number of “09071,” as well as an eight-digit a lot number beginning with “731013.”
• 15-pound boxes of “CHEYENNE SEASONED BEEF PATTIES” bearing a product number of “12017” or “12018,” as well as an eight-digit lot number beginning with “730314.”
• 10-, 15- and 20-pound boxes of “100% PURE GROUND BEEF PATTIES” bearing a product number of “1340,” “127533,” “135724,” “158843” or “158852,” as well as an eight-digit lot number beginning with “731013” or “731014.”
• 10-pound boxes of “100% PURE GROUND CHUCK BEEF PATTIES” bearing a product number of “158898,” as well as an eight-digit lot number beginning with “731014.”
• 10-, 15- and 25-pound boxes of “100% PURE GROUND BEEF CHUCK PATTIES” bearing a product number of “85227,” “227806,” “407823,” “407830,” “407840,” “417841” or “437531,” as well as an eight-digit lot number beginning with “730314,” “731013,” or “731014.”
• 10-pound boxes of “OUR HOMESTYLE 100% PURE GROUND BEEF PATTIES” bearing a product number of “208033,” as well as an eight-digit lot number beginning with “731014.”
• 15-pound boxes of “SEASONED BEEF PATTIES” bearing a product number of “357835,” as well as an eight-digit lot number beginning with “730314.”
• 15- and 15.3-pound boxes of “USDA CHOICE OR HIGHER 100% PURE GROUND BEEF PATTIES” bearing a product number of “437507” or “437521,” as well as an eight-digit lot number beginning with “730314,” “731013,” or “731014.”
• 15-pound boxes of “USDA CHOICE OR HIGHER GROUND BEEF CHUCK PATTIES” bearing a product number of “437822,” as well as an eight-digit lot number beginning with “731014.”

Each box bears the establishment number “Est. 8999” inside the USDA mark of inspection.

Consumers and media with questions about the recall should contact company Quality Assurance Manager Michelle Risius at (507) 529-4759.

E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration. The very young, seniors and persons with compromised immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness.

Consumers with food safety questions can “Ask Karen,” the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from l0 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day. #
Rochester Meat Company, a Rochester, Minn., recalls 188,000 pounds of ground beef products Due To contamination with E. coli O157:H7
tag: E. coli O157:H7, USDA, Beef Recall, USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline, Rochester Meat Company Beef Recall, E.COLI, CHEYENNE SEASONED BEEF PATTIES recall, OUR HOMESTYLE 100% PURE GROUND BEEF PATTIES Recall, SEASONED BEEF PATTIES Recall, Est. 8999 Recall

Mark's Quality Meats, Inc., Recalls Various Cuts of Steaks And Ground Beef Products Due To Contamination with E. coli O157:H7

Recall Release	CLASS I RECALL
FSIS-RC-001-2008	HEALTH RISK: HIGH

Congressional and Public Affairs
(202) 720-9113
Amanda Eamich

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5, 2008 - Mark's Quality Meats, Inc., a Detroit, Mich., firm, is voluntarily recalling approximately 13,150 pounds of various cuts of steaks and ground beef products because they may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.

The steak and ground beef products subject to recall were produced on Dec. 20, 21, 24 or 26, 2007, and were distributed to restaurants in the metropolitan Detroit area. These products were not available for purchase by consumers in retail establishments.
FSIS has received no reports of illness related to these products at this time. Anyone who consumed these types of products at Detroit area restaurants and is experiencing an illness should contact a physician immediately.

The following products are subject to recall:

• Boxes of "Mark's Quality Meats, Inc., BEEF FOR INDUSTRIAL USE ONLY, BALL TIP STEAKS."
• Boxes of "Mark's Quality Meats, Inc., BEEF FOR INDUSTRIAL USE ONLY, BEEF NY STRIPS."
• Boxes of "Mark's Quality Meats, Inc., BEEF FOR INDUSTRIAL USE ONLY, BEEF T-BONE STEAK."
• Boxes of "Mark's Quality Meats, Inc., BEEF FOR INDUSTRIAL USE ONLY, BEEF PORTERHOUSE STEAK."
• Boxes of "Mark's Quality Meats, Inc., BEEF FOR INDUSTRIAL USE ONLY, BEEF TOP SIRLOIN STEAKS."
• Boxes of "Mark's Quality Meats, Inc., BEEF FOR INDUSTRIAL USE ONLY, BULK GROUND BEEF."
• Boxes of "Mark's Quality Meats, Inc., BEEF FOR INDUSTRIAL USE ONLY, GROUND BEEF PATTIES."

Each shipping label bears the establishment number "Est. 8951" inside the USDA mark of inspection.

The problem was discovered after the recalling firm submitted a product sample that tested positive at a third party laboratory.

Consumers and media with questions about the recall should contact the company General Manager Jack Fudge at (313) 554-2500.

E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration. The very young, seniors and persons with compromised immune systems are the most susceptible to food borne illness.
tag: USDA recall, Beef Recall, Food Recall, health risk, Mark's Quality Meats recall, E. coli O157:H7, E.COLI, ground beef recall, Steak recall