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Dr. Mercola
March 04 2008
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USDA Orders Largest Meat Recall in U.S. History


WARNING: This video contains very graphic images.

In the largest meat recall in U.S. history, 143 million pounds of beef have been recalled by the U .S. Department of Agriculture. The beef represents the past two years of production for California-based Westland Meat, and was recalled because the company did not prevent sick animals from entering the U.S. food supply.

The videotape above showed that Westland’s partner company, Hallmark Meat Packing, was involved in “egregious violations” of federal animal care regulations. The company did not consistently bring in federal veterinarians to examine cattle that were too weak or sick to stand on their own, and sent them to be slaughtered anyway.

Government regulations prohibit slaughtering cattle that cannot stand or walk on their own for food.

Federal officials have noted that most of the recalled beef was likely eaten long ago, and, despite the recall, likely poses little or no hazard to consumers.

About 37 million pounds of the meat went to school lunch programs and other public nutrition programs.

Dr. Mercola Dr. Mercola's Comments:
This recall came about only after this undercover tape from the Humane Society of the United States showed sick animals being treated cruelly and inhumanely by Westland/Hallmark Meat Company employees. It was only then that federal officials came to the realization that this company has been routinely allowing sick animals into the U.S. food supply (including to school lunch programs).

This begs two burning questions:

1. Why didn’t the USDA, with their supposed safety inspections, know about this long before the Humane Society’s undercover work?

2. What good is it to recall meat AFTER most of it has been consumed?

The recall includes beef products that date back to February 1, 2006. Now, in 2008, most of these products are already long since eaten, but how many other meat companies are violating safety standards right now?

Is the USDA Protecting Your Food Supply?

As evidenced by this massive recall, no, not even close.

If you are not yet familiar with the conventional practices that go on in factory farm beef warehouses, as a matter of course, then listen up. These are places where animals are raised in filthy overcrowded conditions, and are pumped full of hormones, antibiotics and other chemicals while being fed animal byproducts and pesticide-laced grains.

And this is all in accordance with federal regulations. Still, as the undercover video showed, there are apparently even worse things going on in the nation’s slaughterhouses, despite the fact that USDA inspectors are there “continuously.”

If this doesn’t bother you, then perhaps the reason why this massive beef recall likely took place will: Mad cow disease.

When an animal collapses out of sickness or weakness, it has an increased risk of being infected with not only e. coli bacteria but also bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease.

Richard Raymond, the USDA's undersecretary for food safety, said that there is no risk of mad cow disease from the recalled meat, but what else could he say? Most of this meat has already been consumed, and symptoms of the fatal brain infection associated with mad cow disease can take 30 years to show up, which means it would be nearly impossible to link it to the recalled beef anyway.

Factory Farms Flourish While Small Farmers are Shut Down

Factory farms, which are widely known for their deplorable conditions, are given the golden USDA-inspected stamp, and their products sent off to your local supermarket to become your dinner.

Meanwhile, small farmers, who would otherwise slaughter their own cattle in a much more humane, clean and sustainable way, are made to bring their animals to a federally inspected slaughterhouse.

Sometimes these “inspected” slaughterhouses are hours away, making it not nearly cost effective for a small farmer to transfer his cattle there. Yet, if they attempt to slaughter the animals themselves, in the way that has been traditionally done for generations, they risk jail time.

Ironic, isn’t it?

Grass-Fed is the BEST Beef to Eat

In my view your exclusive beef choice should be grass-fed beef. But it is important to recognize that while nearly all cattle are started on grass, the key is what they are fed in the few months prior to being slaughtered. So avoid being deceived by some unscrupulous sellers. Verify that any beef you purchase is truly grass-fed until slaughtered.

If you live in some countries like Australia, Brazil and New Zealand it is a non-issue, as that is all they feed their cattle. And if you are fortunate enough to live in Hawaii, where I stay for the winter, all the cattle are grass-fed and they do not give them any grain, unlike in the rest of the United States.

Who do YOU Trust With Your Family’s Food?

Did I mention that the government once named Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. the school lunch program’s “Supplier of the Year”?

Makes you wonder what the meat companies are like that didn’t win the title …

I don’t know about you, but I would much rather get my meat from a farmer I can talk to first-hand, than put my faith in a plastic-wrapped meat product that comes from a factory farm where a USDA inspector may have been asleep on the job.
 
And this is not even factoring in the superior nutrition that comes from eating beef that is raised on pasture, instead of in feedlots.

While I realize that not everyone has access to small farmers, food from local sources is increasing in popularity and is becoming much easier to come by. For an excellent list of sustainable agricultural groups in your area, please see Promoting Sustainable Agriculture -- this page is filled with resources for high-quality produce and meats in your area.

To end on a positive note, it looks like Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. will be one less black mark on the U.S. food supply. Their general manager has issued a statement that the company is probably going to be shutting its doors for good.
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Community Comments ( 91 )
 		Comment on this Article
  
  
foxtroter
 [ Joined on 09/06 ] [ Posted on February 18, 2008 ]
27 Points        
   
 
Savvy User
Buy local.  Buy your grassfed beef directly from a farm you know personally.  If you live in a city, find out where the country is, rent a pickup truck and go cow hunting--hehe--splitting a cow between friends is not hard.  The butcher will cut up a cow to make it easy to split the cow up between 2,3 or 4 people. 

The cost of your meat is not expensive when you buy the cow directly from the farmer.  The price goes up after it has gone to a feed lot and ruined.  I pay less for my beef than if I bought it in the store---not counting the electricity, however, to keep it frozen until it is all gone.
 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
seg
 [ Joined on 11/06 ]  [ Posted on February 19, 2008]
4 Points        
   
Savvy User
  Mercola
Even with the electricity it's still considerably cheaper AND HEALTHIER  but still not everyone has access to this type of meat and it's one of the primary reasons grocery stores are stocked to hilt.....Sad,sad situation.....
Mercola
  
SpartyOn
 [ Joined on 06/06 ]  [ Posted on February 19, 2008]
8 Points        
   
Apprentice User
  Mercola
We found a butcher who could converse on this topic in depth and without dismissing the idea of an organic grass-fed cow.  He told us that he has had a huge increase in his organic business, and he was able to locate the cow for us.  We had to wait a few weeks because the grass-fed cows weren't as readily available for butchering as the organic cows.  And, he provided lots of suggestions on how to split it up between us and another family.  Big lump sum expenditure, but overall savings.
Mercola
  
Russ Bianchi
 [ Joined on 09/06 ]  [ Posted on February 19, 2008]
3 Points        
   
Savvy User
  Mercola
Slow Food Is For All Meals, Evermore.
Mercola
  
New to Natural
 [ Joined on 11/07 ]  [ Posted on February 19, 2008]
5 Points        
   
Savvy User
  Mercola
We recently bought a cow and split it between us and some friends of ours -there is NO comparison between this meat and store bought meat!  You don't even have to drain the fat off the hamburger, it's so lean.  The roasts are delicious and tender and the steaks are out of this world!  I will never buy hamburger from the store again. 

The other posters are right about the cost too - we bought our half of the cow and had it butchered for $800! 
Mercola
  
pozer84
 [ Joined on 08/07 ]  [ Posted on February 19, 2008]
2 Points        
   
Novice User
  Mercola
I'm interested to know what you pay for 1/2 a cow?  I buy grass fed local beef and most cuts runs $6 a pound and some of the steaks, I pay $16 per pound (they are not grain finished).  The beef tastes COMPLETELY different (better) than the commercial meats I used to buy at the grocery stores.  I also noticed the other day how much darker my meat is then the meat I saw at the grocery store - the very pink color looks so unhealthy!

-jennifer
Mercola
  
pozer84
 [ Joined on 08/07 ]  [ Posted on February 19, 2008]
3 Points        
   
Novice User
  Mercola
I'm interested to know what you pay for 1/2 a cow?  I buy grass fed local beef and most cuts runs $6 a pound and some of the steaks, I pay $16 per pound (they are not grain finished).  The beef tastes COMPLETELY different (better) than the commercial meats I used to buy at the grocery stores.  I also noticed the other day how much darker my meat is then the meat I saw at the grocery store - the very pink color looks so unhealthy!

-jennifer
Mercola
  
New to Natural
 [ Joined on 11/07 ]  [ Posted on February 19, 2008]
       
   
Savvy User
  Mercola
Pozer84 - I should clarify:  some friends of ours and my husband/I split a cow, so they got 1/2 and we got 1/2.  Sorry for the confusion  :-) 
Mercola
  
foxtroter
 [ Joined on 09/06 ]  [ Posted on February 20, 2008]
14 Points        
   
Savvy User
  Mercola
Pozer84---I may be lucky, but I have split cows three times now and each time it averaged out at $2.50 a pound.  About 1/4 is steaks, 1/4 is roasts, 1/4 is ground into hamburger and 1/4 is other things such as stew meat and soup bones (leg bones cut crosswise with the marrow intact and lots of meat surrounding it!).  This does not count the liver, heart and tongue if you are up to it.  Also does not count the huge box of bones that I get to give to all the neighbors for their doggies.
Mercola
  
Rett
 [ Joined on 11/06 ]  [ Posted on March 4, 2008]
       
   
Novice User
  Mercola

The thing is, I have found a local family farm but they do give their cows grain.  The lady told me they give a tiny bit.  I buy the milk but a label on it says it's for pet consumption only.  And I've been to websites that have grass fed meats for sale and I can't afford it.  Ten dollars for one little chicken?  Not possible.  It's very frustrating sometimes.  
Mercola
  
clickersister
 [ Joined on 01/07 ]  [ Posted on March 4, 2008]
2 Points        
   
Novice User
  Mercola

I purchased 1/2 of a 100% grass-fed cow for about 2.69 per pound. The total cost was around $1000, but now my freezer is full of the healthiest meat I can get. If you look at each cut by price, it was a little high for the 100 or so pounds of delicious ground beef, but the roasts and HUGE t-bone and porterhouse steaks were extremely cheap. I found a great company on-line and was able to pre-order. Then their butcher contacted me and walked me through the ordering process. I had to drive about 2 1/2 hours to pick it up, but it all was WORTH IT. I can't remember if I found them on Eatwild or Local Harvest. Both sites are good.

Mercola
  
A Storm
 [ Joined on 06/06 ]  [ Posted on March 4, 2008]
5 Points        
   
Novice User
  Mercola

Foxtroter,  I have given up meat for the past 18 yrs just because I cannot be a part of that kind of treatment of the animals.  I just moved to Tx and bought 30 acres.  I'm sure my husband is happy because I hope to raise some cows of my own.  I will have to find some families to split it with me but finally I can feel like the animal was treated with the diginity and respect that it deserves for giving its life for us to be fed.  

I feel that EVERYONE should have to SEE how and where their food (meat) comes from. This grocery store 'sanitization' of the suffering that comes in 'little plastic wrapper' is just wrong.  Where is the respect?  

And I find it hard to believe that these same people go to church every Sun and claim to be good christians.  Why aren't they preaching about these real world things in the church?  I'm sure the pastors need new surmons that haven't been preached to death!!  It seems to me that a little on the contents of the meals and a little on recycling would be the perfect subjects for the church.  I've given up on trying to get them to speak on these type of subjects.  Unless they come around to a more humane church, I will find my religion in the garden with my rescued cats and dogs and soon, my cows!

Pray for a change and God bless.
  
  
Katie B
 [ Joined on 01/08 ] [ Posted on February 19, 2008 ]
15 Points        
   
 
Novice User
Thank you, Foxtroter, for the tip.
 [ Reply ]
  
  
Kissamee
 [ Joined on 12/07 ] [ Posted on February 19, 2008 ]
13 Points        
   
 
Apprentice User
Isn't it nice to know our lovely Government is saving us from downer cows [not fit for dogs, btw], and waits to let us know about it after they fed it all to kids!

Kel
 [ Reply ]
  
  
Charisse
 [ Joined on 10/07 ] [ Posted on February 19, 2008 ]
13 Points        
   
 
Apprentice User
Well, it's about time this made the mainstream news!....It happens all the time...It's just that the humane society has shamed them into doing something about it!!!....A friend of mine used to know a Rabbi whose job it was to certify the meat Kosher at one of the big processing plants.....Guess  what percentage of cows were "clean" and "healthy" enough to pass as Kosher (they not only check the animal but the other vital organs, etc.)???  10%!!!!!!  Guess where the other 90% went???  you guessed it, to the stores.......for the rest of the people who don't buy Kosher...Obviously pasture raised is the best (I personally buy my meat straight from an Amish farmer 2.5 hours away and freeze...) but if you can't buy it from the source, (cheaper..ground beef from my farmer $2.25/lb. vs.  pasture raised in the health food store $6.85/lb)..I tell people as a last resort to buy Kosher at the very least.....
 [ Reply ]
  
  
samurai
 [ Joined on 04/07 ] [ Posted on March 4, 2008 ]
10 Points        
   
 
Savvy User

Why was Kuvera given so many negative points?  So what if someone wants to be vegan?  I personally eat meat, and feel tired absent of meat.  But I give so much respect to those that hold on to their beliefs, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ARE TAKING A NON-VIOLENT ROUTE.  With all of the jackasses that are killing others in the name of OIL and God across the world, do we have room to punish someone that won't eat meat?  Come on you guys!  Think about it!