Would You Like Sick Cow With Those Fries?

http://theboard.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/15/would-you-like-sick-cow-with-those-fries/

February 15, 2008, 6:37 pm

Would You Like Sick Cow With Those Fries?

By The Editorial Board

The hamburger is one of the great culinary inventions of all time. Bread, meat, veggies, and a little sauce, and there you have it–all the basic food groups, plus fat.
New York City school officials interrupted the good eating this week out of concern that an unwelcome ingredient had found its way into the hamburgers it was serving the kids: sick or “downed” cows.
A Humane Society video revealed the way workers beat or otherwise abused sick cows at the California company so they would appear well enough to be slaughtered. It is not for the faint of heart, but the grusome evidence is here:
After viewing the footage and launching its own investigation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has shut down the California plant and assured consumers that these animals had not reached the market. That gives little comfort, however, given the department’s spotty record of identifying “non-ambulatory” cows.
New York City’s school administrators moved quickly to refuse 300,000 patties from the firm, and for the first week of February the city’s million plus students were given vegetables, chicken and fish instead. (A week without hamburgers: it sounds like a recent Burger King ad campaign.)
Congress is looking at the issue of sick and downed cows, but very slowly. Companies like McDonalds are pushing their distributors to make certain their products come from healthy animals. A few states, including California, Florida, Kansas and Illinois, have attempted to fill the gap in federal regulation by passing stronger laws against mistreating animals and slaughtering the sick or downed ones.
New York is still in the majority of states that must count on the abbatoires and the USDA to ensure that only healthy meat is sold. State Senator Liz Krueger, a Democrat from Manhattan, has introduced a downed animal bill that would help. Any legislator whose constituents eat hamburgers should support it.
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"May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't." -General George S. Patton

Psalm 82-8: Arise, O God, judge the earth, for You inherit all the nations.

SoCal slaughterhouse at center of recall

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080218/ap_on_re_us/slaughterhouse_abuse&printer=1;_ylt=AvJuW5.rrG2ETX1zG7qqC89H2ocA

SoCal slaughterhouse at center of recall

By GREG RISLING, Associated Press WriterMon Feb 18, 6:03 AM ET

An undercover video showing crippled and sick animals being shoved with forklifts has led to the largest beef recall in the United States and a scramble to find out if any of the meat is still destined for school children's lunches.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Sunday ordered the recall of 143 million pounds of beef from a Southern California slaughterhouse that is the subject of an animal-abuse investigation.
The recall will affect beef products dating to Feb. 1, 2006, that came from Chino-based Westland/Hallmark Meat Co., the federal agency said. The company provided meat to various federal programs.
Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer said his department has evidence that Westland did not routinely contact its veterinarian when cattle became non-ambulatory after passing inspection, violating health regulations.
"Because the cattle did not receive complete and proper inspection, Food Safety and Inspection Service has determined them to be unfit for human food and the company is conducting a recall," Schafer said in a statement.
A phone message left for Westland president Steve Mendell was not returned Sunday.
Agriculture officials said the massive recall surpasses 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.
Officials estimate that about 37 million pounds of the recalled beef went to school programs, but they believe most of the meat probably has already been eaten.
"We don't know how much product is out there right now. We don't think there is a health hazard, but we do have to take this action," said Dr. Dick Raymond, USDA Undersecretary for Food Safety.
Federal officials suspended operations at Westland/Hallmark after an undercover video from the Humane Society of the United States surfaced showing crippled and sick animals being shoved with forklifts.
Two former employees were charged Friday. Five felony counts of animal cruelty and three misdemeanors were filed against a pen manager. Three misdemeanor counts — illegal movement of a non-ambulatory animal — were filed against an employee who worked under that manager. Both were fired.
Authorities said the video showed workers kicking, shocking and otherwise abusing "downer" animals that were apparently too sick or injured to walk into the slaughterhouse. Some animals had water forced down their throats, San Bernardino County prosecutor Michael Ramos said.
No charges have been filed against Westland, but an investigation by federal authorities continues.
About 150 school districts around the nation have stopped using ground beef from Hallmark Meat Packing Co., which is associated with Westland. Two fast-food chains, Jack-In-the-Box and In-N-Out, said they would not use beef from Westland/Hallmark.
Most of the beef was sent to distribution centers in bulk packages. The USDA said it will work with distributors to determine how much meat remains.
Federal regulations call for keeping downed cattle out of the food supply because they may pose a higher risk of contamination from E. coli, salmonella or mad cow disease since they typically wallow in feces and their immune systems are often weak.
Upon learning about the recall, some legislators criticized the USDA, saying the federal agency should conduct more thorough inspections to ensure tainted beef doesn't get to the public.
"Today marks the largest beef recall in U.S. history, and it involves the national school lunch program and other federal food and nutrition programs," said U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, chairman of the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. "This begs the question: How much longer will we continue to test our luck with weak enforcement of federal food safety regulations?"
Advocacy groups also weighed in, noting the problems at Westland wouldn't have been revealed had it not been for animal right activists.
"On the one hand, I'm glad that the recall is taking place. On the other, it's somewhat disturbing, given that obviously much of this food has already been eaten," said Jean Halloran, director of food policy initiatives at Consumers Union. "It's really closing the barn door after the cows left."
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Associated Press writers Jacob Adelman and Christopher Weber contributed to this report.
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"May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't." -General George S. Patton

Psalm 82-8: Arise, O God, judge the earth, for You inherit all the nations.