USDA issues largest ever beef recall at Chino plant

The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced the recall of 143 million pounds of raw and frozen beef from a troubled Chino meat-packing company, deeming it unfit for human consumption because of lapses in required inspections.

Agriculture Department officials called this the largest beef recall in the United States, surpassing the ban in 1999 of 35 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat.

The USDA said there was “a remote probability of adverse health consequences from the use of the product.”

The cattle “did not receive complete and proper inspection,” according to a news release issued by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service in Washington. Information received by the federal agency shows that Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. “did not consistently contact the FSIS public health veterinarian” as required when cattle became non-ambulatory after being inspected, the release said.

Department spokesman Keith Williams noted that today’s beef recall, while the largest in history, was not based on the same levels of concern for public health as in some prior recalls.

“There is a remote probability of any serious health concern … but we are taking this action because of our regulations” and in abundance of caution, he said of the recall.

Problems at the plant first went public following the release of a video showing treatment of animals at the plant between Oct. 11 and Nov. 9.

The video, taken surreptitiously by the Humane Society of the United States, led to schools nationwide pulling beef suppled by the company from cafeterias.

In the video, a manager is shown using a paddle to hit a non-ambulatory cow in the face and eye, in an attempt, authorities said, to get the animal to its feet to be taken to slaughter.

By law, cattle that cannot walk are banned from the human meat supply. Also last week, the U.S Department of Agriculture suspended inspections at Hallmark, which effectively closed the plant. Earlier this month, several California lawmakers, including U.S Rep. George Miller (D-Martinez), called for an independent investigation into the National School Lunch Program, for which Hallmark was a top supplier.

San Bernardino County prosecutors last week filed felony charges of animal cruelty and illegal movement of non-ambulatory animals against the manager, Daniel Ugarte Navarro, 49, of Pomona.

It was not immediately clear where the meat products are, but the USDA said that some Westland meat products were purchased for federal food and nutrition programs. The agency placed a Jan. 30 hold on all Westland products in federal outlets, including the National School Lunch Program, the Emergency Food Assistance Program and the Food Assistance Program on Indian Reservations, USDA officials said Sunday.

The USDA recall list issued today includes beef products with the Westland, King Meat Co., Regal and Hallmark Meat Packing Labels.

“Because the cattle did not receive complete and proper inspection FSIS has determined them to be unfit for human food and the company is conducting a recall,” Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer said in a statement.