USDA warns changes could delay recalls
Mon Mar 17, 2008 4:59pm EDT
By Bob Burgdorfer
CHICAGO (Reuters) - It took four hours under the U.S. Agriculture
Department's voluntary recall system to begin the largest meat recall in
history, while recalls under some proposed mandatory systems would have
taken days to execute, a USDA official told Reuters on Monday.
"I do know that within four hours they (the beef plant) had issued the
recall from the time we asked them to do the voluntary recall," Richard
Raymond, agriculture undersecretary who oversees USDA's Food Safety and
Inspection Service, said during the Reuters Food Summit.
In February, Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. recalled 143 million lbs of
beef after USDA officials watched videos, taken by the Humane Society of the
United States, showing fallen cattle being forced into the plant for
processing, a violation of USDA regulations.
As a result, USDA asked for, and the company complied with, the recall of
the beef that was produced over a two-year period.
While no one was sickened by the recalled meat, the recall has increased
pressure on USDA by lawmakers to implement a mandatory recall system. A
mandatory system could include fines or jail time for violators, said
Raymond.
Under some proposed mandatory recall systems the time could have been much
longer, he said.
"Under one of the (mandatory) plans they would have asked for a two-day
delay until we had a public hearing. Another plan we would notify them they
had 15 days to think about it," he said.
"Right now it is voluntary," Raymond said of the recall system. "If they
(meat plants) say 'No, I don't want to do it' we can't prosecute them. But
in the 100 years since the federal meat inspection act was passed we have
never had a company refuse."
HALLMARK RECALL NOT THE FIRST
The Hallmark/Westland recall was not the first involving animal welfare.
"Last year we did suspend inspections in 12 plants because of inhumane
handling that we saw and observed," said Raymond. "We did that 12 times last
year, 14 times the year before. That is way too many times."
Despite these instances, Raymond believes most meat companies take animal
welfare and handling seriously.
Prodding an animal to enter meat plants, as seen on the Humane Society
video, can hurt consumer confidence in the meat product, he said.
"The industry does not want that to happen," he said. "The industry right
now is fighting an image problem with the American consumer.
"We have to make certain that what happened at Hallmark never happens again.
Another hit like that, I'm afraid you would see consumption of ground beef
going into a tailspin."
(For summit blog: here)
(Reporting by Bob Burgdorfer, editing by Phil Berlowitz)
http://www.reuters.com/article/Food08/i ... 2020080317
http://www.reuters.com/article/Food08/i ... geNumber=2
> inhumane handling,
what about the children ???
> no one was sickened by the recalled meat,
human mad cow disease incubation period is anywhere from 16 to 22 years.
so to claim no one has gotten sick, is just not completely accurate. mad cow
disease in animals and humans takes years, if not a decade or more in
humans,
to ever become clinical, and once clinical is 100% fatal. ...
> It took four hours under the U.S. Agriculture Department's voluntary
recall
> system to begin the largest meat recall in history
4 hours hmmm ???
i first reported this blunder on Wednesday, January 30, 2008 7:36 PM, and
pointed out the risk
to the children then from the usda school lunch downer cow program with the
submission i made to
the FSIS about the risk to downers in the food supply dated 9/13/05. I can
tell you beyond any shadow
of any doubt that at this time, the USDA knew the science of this risk to
the children from dead stock
downer cattle being added to the childrens school lunch program, and the
fact that dead stock downers
were the most high risk to humans from TSE. BUT, instead of issuing a recall
ASAP, they waited until the
media picked up, and finally started printing some of the facts of real risk
on TSE, downers, and the children.
THEN, finally on February 17, 2008, after the public finally wised up, a
two year recall was finally put in
place. this recall had nothing to do with INHUMANE HANDLING, it had
everything to do with dead stock
downers, and the fact they are the most high risk for transmission to humans
mad cow disease.
SO, in my humble opinion, it took 18 days, NOT "4 hours", for the U.S.
Agriculture Department's voluntary
recall system to finally begin the largest meat recall in history.
> USDA warns changes could delay recalls $$$
"PROTECT THE INDUSTRY AT ALL COST" !
GAO-05-51 October 2004 FOOD SAFETY
over 500 customers receiving potentially BSE contaminated beef .....
* GAO-05-51 October 2004 FOOD SAFETY (over 500 customers receiving
potentially BSE contaminated beef) - TSS 10/20/04
October 2004 FOOD SAFETY
USDA and FDA Need
to Better Ensure
Prompt and Complete
Recalls of Potentially
Unsafe Food
snip...
REPORTS
1. Food Safety: USDA and FDA Need to Better Ensure Prompt and Complete
Recalls of Potentially Unsafe Food. GAO-05-51, October 7.tss
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d0551.pdf
Highlights -
http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0551high.pdf
TSS
----- Original Message -----
From: "Terry S. Singeltary Sr." <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2008 7:36 PM
Subject: [BSE-L] Video Reveals Violations of Laws, Abuse of Cows at
Slaughterhouse
snip...
[Docket No. 03-025IFA] FSIS Prohibition of the Use of Specified Risk
Materials for Human Food and Requirement for the Disposition of
Non-Ambulatory Disabled Cattle
9/13/2005
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/Comments ... 5IFA-2.pdf
snip...end
----- Original Message -----
From: "Terry S. Singeltary Sr." <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, February 17, 2008 4:11 PM
Subject: [BSE-L] Statement by Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer Regarding
Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company Two Year Product Recall
Release No. 0046.08
Contact:
USDA Press Office (202) 720-4623
Statement by Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer Regarding Hallmark/Westland
Meat Packing Company Two Year Product Recall
February 17, 2008
snip...end
#
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome ... 2/0046.xml
2008 CALIFORNIA ONLY
Hallmark / Westland Meat Recall - Retail Distribution
http://dhs.ca.gov/fdb/local/PDF/Westlan ... -29-08.PDF
Additional Products Containing Westland Recalled Beef
http://dhs.ca.gov/fdb/local/PDF/Additio ... -29-08.PDF
>>>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. <<<
in my opinion, this is a food safety issue.
SOME FACTS BELOW, this 8/4/97 feed ban usda et al are so proud of was/is
nothing but ink on paper. it was never enforced. thousands and thousands of
tons
of mad cow protein in commerce in 2006 and 2007.
usda et al forgets to add this to their phony statements ;
SRM SPECIFIED RISK MATERIALS
RUMINANT TO RUMINANT ANIMAL PROTEIN IN COMMERCE 2006-2007
http://madcowspontaneousnot.blogspot.co ... s-srm.html
Geographical BSE Risk (GBR) assessments covering 2000-2006
Date : 01.08.2006
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/EFSA/Scientif ... 2-2006.pdf
heck, it took 7+ months AND an act of Congress to finally confirm a mad cow
in Texas, so this 18 days to issue a recall is not surprising.
i was even surprised to ever see it finally take place. ...TSS
Mon Mar 17, 2008 4:59pm EDT
By Bob Burgdorfer
CHICAGO (Reuters) - It took four hours under the U.S. Agriculture
Department's voluntary recall system to begin the largest meat recall in
history, while recalls under some proposed mandatory systems would have
taken days to execute, a USDA official told Reuters on Monday.
"I do know that within four hours they (the beef plant) had issued the
recall from the time we asked them to do the voluntary recall," Richard
Raymond, agriculture undersecretary who oversees USDA's Food Safety and
Inspection Service, said during the Reuters Food Summit.
In February, Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. recalled 143 million lbs of
beef after USDA officials watched videos, taken by the Humane Society of the
United States, showing fallen cattle being forced into the plant for
processing, a violation of USDA regulations.
As a result, USDA asked for, and the company complied with, the recall of
the beef that was produced over a two-year period.
While no one was sickened by the recalled meat, the recall has increased
pressure on USDA by lawmakers to implement a mandatory recall system. A
mandatory system could include fines or jail time for violators, said
Raymond.
Under some proposed mandatory recall systems the time could have been much
longer, he said.
"Under one of the (mandatory) plans they would have asked for a two-day
delay until we had a public hearing. Another plan we would notify them they
had 15 days to think about it," he said.
"Right now it is voluntary," Raymond said of the recall system. "If they
(meat plants) say 'No, I don't want to do it' we can't prosecute them. But
in the 100 years since the federal meat inspection act was passed we have
never had a company refuse."
HALLMARK RECALL NOT THE FIRST
The Hallmark/Westland recall was not the first involving animal welfare.
"Last year we did suspend inspections in 12 plants because of inhumane
handling that we saw and observed," said Raymond. "We did that 12 times last
year, 14 times the year before. That is way too many times."
Despite these instances, Raymond believes most meat companies take animal
welfare and handling seriously.
Prodding an animal to enter meat plants, as seen on the Humane Society
video, can hurt consumer confidence in the meat product, he said.
"The industry does not want that to happen," he said. "The industry right
now is fighting an image problem with the American consumer.
"We have to make certain that what happened at Hallmark never happens again.
Another hit like that, I'm afraid you would see consumption of ground beef
going into a tailspin."
(For summit blog: here)
(Reporting by Bob Burgdorfer, editing by Phil Berlowitz)
http://www.reuters.com/article/Food08/i ... 2020080317
http://www.reuters.com/article/Food08/i ... geNumber=2
> inhumane handling,
what about the children ???
> no one was sickened by the recalled meat,
human mad cow disease incubation period is anywhere from 16 to 22 years.
so to claim no one has gotten sick, is just not completely accurate. mad cow
disease in animals and humans takes years, if not a decade or more in
humans,
to ever become clinical, and once clinical is 100% fatal. ...
> It took four hours under the U.S. Agriculture Department's voluntary
recall
> system to begin the largest meat recall in history
4 hours hmmm ???
i first reported this blunder on Wednesday, January 30, 2008 7:36 PM, and
pointed out the risk
to the children then from the usda school lunch downer cow program with the
submission i made to
the FSIS about the risk to downers in the food supply dated 9/13/05. I can
tell you beyond any shadow
of any doubt that at this time, the USDA knew the science of this risk to
the children from dead stock
downer cattle being added to the childrens school lunch program, and the
fact that dead stock downers
were the most high risk to humans from TSE. BUT, instead of issuing a recall
ASAP, they waited until the
media picked up, and finally started printing some of the facts of real risk
on TSE, downers, and the children.
THEN, finally on February 17, 2008, after the public finally wised up, a
two year recall was finally put in
place. this recall had nothing to do with INHUMANE HANDLING, it had
everything to do with dead stock
downers, and the fact they are the most high risk for transmission to humans
mad cow disease.
SO, in my humble opinion, it took 18 days, NOT "4 hours", for the U.S.
Agriculture Department's voluntary
recall system to finally begin the largest meat recall in history.
> USDA warns changes could delay recalls $$$
"PROTECT THE INDUSTRY AT ALL COST" !
GAO-05-51 October 2004 FOOD SAFETY
over 500 customers receiving potentially BSE contaminated beef .....
* GAO-05-51 October 2004 FOOD SAFETY (over 500 customers receiving
potentially BSE contaminated beef) - TSS 10/20/04
October 2004 FOOD SAFETY
USDA and FDA Need
to Better Ensure
Prompt and Complete
Recalls of Potentially
Unsafe Food
snip...
REPORTS
1. Food Safety: USDA and FDA Need to Better Ensure Prompt and Complete
Recalls of Potentially Unsafe Food. GAO-05-51, October 7.tss
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d0551.pdf
Highlights -
http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0551high.pdf
TSS
----- Original Message -----
From: "Terry S. Singeltary Sr." <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2008 7:36 PM
Subject: [BSE-L] Video Reveals Violations of Laws, Abuse of Cows at
Slaughterhouse
snip...
[Docket No. 03-025IFA] FSIS Prohibition of the Use of Specified Risk
Materials for Human Food and Requirement for the Disposition of
Non-Ambulatory Disabled Cattle
9/13/2005
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/Comments ... 5IFA-2.pdf
snip...end
----- Original Message -----
From: "Terry S. Singeltary Sr." <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, February 17, 2008 4:11 PM
Subject: [BSE-L] Statement by Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer Regarding
Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company Two Year Product Recall
Release No. 0046.08
Contact:
USDA Press Office (202) 720-4623
Statement by Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer Regarding Hallmark/Westland
Meat Packing Company Two Year Product Recall
February 17, 2008
snip...end
#
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome ... 2/0046.xml
2008 CALIFORNIA ONLY
Hallmark / Westland Meat Recall - Retail Distribution
http://dhs.ca.gov/fdb/local/PDF/Westlan ... -29-08.PDF
Additional Products Containing Westland Recalled Beef
http://dhs.ca.gov/fdb/local/PDF/Additio ... -29-08.PDF
>>>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. <<<
in my opinion, this is a food safety issue.
SOME FACTS BELOW, this 8/4/97 feed ban usda et al are so proud of was/is
nothing but ink on paper. it was never enforced. thousands and thousands of
tons
of mad cow protein in commerce in 2006 and 2007.
usda et al forgets to add this to their phony statements ;
SRM SPECIFIED RISK MATERIALS
RUMINANT TO RUMINANT ANIMAL PROTEIN IN COMMERCE 2006-2007
http://madcowspontaneousnot.blogspot.co ... s-srm.html
Geographical BSE Risk (GBR) assessments covering 2000-2006
Date : 01.08.2006
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/EFSA/Scientif ... 2-2006.pdf
heck, it took 7+ months AND an act of Congress to finally confirm a mad cow
in Texas, so this 18 days to issue a recall is not surprising.
i was even surprised to ever see it finally take place. ...TSS
