(CNN) -- A slaughterhouse that has been accused of mistreating cows agreed Sunday to recall 143 million pounds of beef in what federal officials called the largest beef recall in U.S. history.
But Dick Raymond, the undersecretary of agriculture for food safety, said there was a "remote probability" that the meat from the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company in Chino, California, could cause illness in humans.
The amount of beef -- 143 million pounds -- is roughly enough for two hamburgers for each man, woman and child in the United States.
The largest U.S. meat recall before Sunday came in 1999, when about 35 million pounds of product possibly contaminated with listeria were ordered off shelves. USDA officials said that was Class I recall, involving a known risk to human health.
Sunday's action was a Class II recall, under which authorities say there is little risk of illness.
Raymond said cattle that had lost the ability to walk since passing pre-processing inspections were slaughtered without an inspector having examined them for chronic illness -- a practice he said violated federal regulations and had been going on for at least two years.
Federal regulations are aimed at preventing the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE -- the scientific name for "mad cow" disease.
It's important to keep downed cattle out of the food supply because they also may pose a higher risk of contamination from E. coli or salmonella because the animals tend to wallow in feces and have weaker immune systems, according to AP.
Raymond said the average age of the cattle involved is 5-7 years, meaning they were likely born long after a 1997 ban on ruminant feed, and that the incidence of BSE in U.S. cattle is "extremely rare."
"We do not know how much of this product is out there at this time. We do not feel this product presents a health risk of any significance," he said. "But the product was produced in non-compliance with our regulations, so therefore we do have to take this action."
About 37 million pounds of the meat went to school lunch programs and other federal nutrition programs since October 2006, said Ron Vogel, of the USDA's Food and Nutrition Service.
9 comments on 143 Million Pounds of Beef Recalled
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Makes me want to scream! Hold hearings on steroid use by athletes, but don't send enough inspectors to watch over our vital food supply.
Make want to change my eating habit.This is getting to be a habit.
heard this on the news this morning.
Something else to thank our current corrupt administration for. Government doesn't work IF you try to break it..
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17349427/
yes,this is getting to be a real problem there in our society.
Did you see the way that they treat the animals.No diginty at all.
They are a bunch of ass hole in the slaughter house.
My question is: Does anybody at the corporate level care about how they make their money? It's always about the money and nothing else. Collaterral damage such as mistreatment of animals is all part of their equation.
Hillary has proven her shamleful character with her bid for the presidency. CLINTON WAS IMPEACHED!!!
Clinton Accused of 1978 Hotel Rape,
Clinton Murders video in my blog:
http://hillaryandbillscrimes.blogster.com/hillary-for-president-very-scary
I was reading the chapter in the book "Skinny Bit**" regarding the mistreatment of animals and unsafe practices by slaughterhouses and the next day this story comes out. What really grinds me is that some of this meat was eaten by school children!
The reason why those cows are so sick is because the moron meat-packing goons feed the animals with stuff that includes animal material ... NO bovine naturally eats meat ... their not supposed to ... the people who are responsible for this practice need to stop it ... the cheap ba$tards are trying to shave the cost of feeding the cows by this stupid practice ... the practice needs to be banned ....
Excellent article, Strider ...
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