An Update On The Largest Beef Recall In US History
 Friday, April 18th, 2008

In February, we posted an article about the largest beef recall in United States history, which took place after The Humane Society of the United States launched an inside investigation (January of '08) into Hallmark / Westland Meat Packing Co. and discovered animals who appeared sick, injured, and unable to walk being pushed into slaughter for beef.  Today, an update:  the HSUS' efforts at that California meat plant launched nationwide attention, and we have the response from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, as well as HSUS' continued effort to raise awareness about the

From the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service:

Thank you for your communication regarding inhumane handling of cattle at Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company.  The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been asked to provide you with a response, and we appreciate the opportunity to update you on how the Agency is responding to the situation.  I want to assure you that USDA and FSIS are taking these allegations very seriously.  FSIS and the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) are working with the USDA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) as they conduct an investigation into this matter.  The USDA investigation is ongoing, and additional actions will be taken as warranted. 

FSIS is the public health regulatory agency in USDA responsible for ensuring that meat, poultry, and processed egg products are safe, wholesome, and accurately labeled.  FSIS enforces the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry Products Inspection Act, and the Egg Products Inspection Act, which require Federal inspection and regulation of meat, poultry, and processed egg products prepared for distribution in commerce for use as human food.  FSIS also enforces the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, which requires that all livestock at federally inspected establishments be handled and slaughtered in a humane way. 

We place a very high priority on ensuring that animals are treated humanely at all times.  We have taken prompt actions.  A summary of those actions is listed [here].

Please visit the FSIS Web site at http://www.fsis.usda.gov for updates as the investigation progresses.

The HSUS is sponsoring The Downed Animal Food Safety Protection Act (H.R. 661/S.394), which urges Congress to keep focused on the issue of cruel treatment of cows and other animals before they go into our food supply.  Thursday, May 1st, 2008 is NATIONAL CALL-IN DAY, where your 30-second phone call can ask your legislators to please co-sponsor this bill and ensure that downed animals are not abused and do not enter store meat shelves in America.

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