my own drum

It's being reported that the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. is closing it's doors in the wake of the largest processed beef recall in U.S. history. Some 143 million pounds have been recalled. Unfortunately, for consumers, some of this beef has already been eaten. School districts across the country are holding the potentially tainted beef, and apparently have little recourse except to order more beef from other sources.

The plant was closed after an undercover video was released which showed employees using various methods to get down cows back on their feet and on the way to slaughter. Electric prods, high pressure water and forklifts were the preferred methods.

Downer cows are potential sources of mad-cow disease, which can lead to a rare but fatal brain disorder in people. The incubation period in humans can be up to 30 years, so your school age kids could be having their own kids before any symptoms would appear.

The U.S.D.A. had inspectors inside this plant, because the plant was one of 10 processors approved to supply beef to the National School Lunch Program. So I question where these inspectors were, and what were they doing? I understand that a person cannot be in many places at once, but this practice was not isolated... and you can be sure that it is not isolated to Hallmark/Westland. This is as much a failure of the U.S.D.A. as it is of the meat packers. Hopefully those inspectors in the remaining nine plants are drinking less coffee and doing more inspection.

If you're a regular reader of this blog then you already realize the awful truth about those people we trust when it comes to the safety of our food sources. It would be pointless to fire the inspectors who failed to inspect. The Secretary of Agriculture, Ed Schafer, should be falling on his sword. He is a disgrace to this department, responsible for the feeding of our school children.