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| Health
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| US orders massive recall of beef |
| The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has ordered the recall of 143m lb (64.9m kg) of beef - the largest meat recall in the country's history.
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| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
, 18-February-2008
9:6:49 AM |
| It comes from a company in California, which officials said allowed meat from cattle unable to stand at the time of slaughter to enter the food chain.
But the USDA said the health hazard was minimal. Much of the meat was purchased for federal nutrition programmes.
The meat-packing plant is also being investigated for animal cruelty.
The USDA had suspended operations there after an undercover video came to light showing crippled and sick animals being mistreated.
Caution
The USDA recalled frozen beef products from the Westland/Hallmark Meat Co in Chino, dating back to 1 February 2006.
The move surpasses a 1999 recall of 35m lbs of ready-to-eat meats, officials said.
Some of the beef was destined for federal welfare assistance programmes, as well as some major fast-food chains.
But officials said most of the recalled meat has probably already been eaten.
The USDA described the recall as Class 2 - meaning there is a remote probability that the product could harm health if consumed.
"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," Dick Raymond, USDA undersecretary for food safety, told AP news agency.
Downer
The recall was ordered after department officials said the plant did not consistently order inspections of cattle which lost the ability to walk prior to slaughter.
Such "downer" cattle are at greater risk of contamination by E. coli, salmonella or contracting mad cow disease, as they have weaker immune systems and greater contact with faeces than walking cattle.
They should either be removed from the food supply, or receive a more thorough inspection following slaughter, officials say.
Operations at the plant had already been suspended after an undercover video shot by the Humane Society of America came to light.
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