USDA Lists Districts, Agencies
Affected by U.S. Beef Recall
By JANE ZHANG
March 27, 2008 7:56 p.m.
Under pressure from Congress, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released a list of "school food authorities" -- school districts and local agencies responsible for distributing food to the national school lunch program -- affected by the nation's largest beef recall.
The list is based on data provided by states, and doesn't specify how much recalled beef the school districts or agencies received during the two-year period specified in the February recall of beef from Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. In addition, the list does not show individual schools that might have received the beef. (See the list.)
The Chino, Calif., plant has been shut down since February when the USDA announced the recall of 143 million pounds of beef, more than 50 million of which went into the national school lunch program.
Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro (D., Conn.), who had repeatedly pressed the USDA to release the names of schools affected by the recall, said, "Today marks a victory in our effort to safeguard our children's health." Ms. DeLauro, chairwoman of the House Appropriations agriculture subcommittee, said the USDA should now release the list of retail stores that received the recalled beef, something the agency has declined to do. Ms. DeLauro said she'll introduce legislation next week to force the USDA to make that information public.
USDA officials have said the recalled beef, triggered by violations documented in undercover videos from the Humane Society of the united States, is unlikely to pose health risks.
