Possibly Tainted Meat Already Consumed

Three weeks after a video surfaced showing gross mistreatment of cattle at one of its plants, a California-based meat company has issued what is being billed as “the largest beef recall in history.”

Since the company is recalling its products from the last two years (issued after Feb. 1, 2006) however, the USDA admits that most of the product has already “probably been consumed.” The recall covers 143 million pounds of beef, but the actual amount returned will be much less.

Oh, and one primary consumer of the possibly tainted beef over the last two years? Schoolchildren, as the meat company was a huge supplier of school lunch programs throughout the country.

One interesting bit in the New York Times article was:

Technically, the Department of Agriculture does not have the authority to recall meat. However, it can withdraw its inspectors from a plant, putting pressure on a company to issue a recall.

With food safety a growing issue in America, and recall after recall scaring consumers, don’t you think the USDA should have the authority to do this?

-- Dylan Blaylock