Local schools proactive in beef recall
By BRENDA SOMMER bsommer@leader-news.com

Local school districts were prepared ahead of time for the largest meat recall in U.S. Department of Agriculture history.

The USDA announced the recall Sunday, calling for the destruction of 143 million pounds of raw and frozen beef produced by a Chino, Calif. slaughterhouse accused of inhumane practices.

However, the USDA said the vast majority of the meat involved in the recall - including 37 million pounds that went mostly to schools - probably has been eaten already. Officials emphasized that danger to consumers was minimal.

El Campo School Superintendent Mark Pool said the district was aware the recall was in the works.

"(Food Service Director Danielle Stewart) had made us aware of the possible recall two weeks ago and pulled all products from our inventory at that time," Pool said.

"We are not serving any beef that passed through the Westland processing plant," Stewart said in an e-mail to Pool.

Louise ISD Superintendent Andy Peters said that district doesn't have any Westland meat either.

"We get our meat from Labat. Their wholesaler is Swift. The meat in question is from Westland meat company," he said. "We have been receiving notices on this bad meat and double checking our inventories. Some of these recalled meats are three years old - we don't keep anything longer than six months in our freezers."

About 150 U.S. school districts stopped using ground beef from Hallmark Meat Packing Co., which is associated with Westland. Fast-food chains Jack-In-the-Box and In-N-Out said they would not use beef from Westland/Hallmark.

About 14,850 cases of ground beef were pulled off the shelves by Texas school districts after the government announced in late January they were investigating the company, Texas Department of Agriculture spokesman Bryan Black said.

The recall applies to beef slaughtered at the Hallmark/ Westland Meat Packing Co. since Feb. 1, 2006. The company has produced no meat since Feb. 4 of this year.

The USDA said there was only a remote possibility the recalled beef from Hallmark could make people sick.