School district: We didn’t use recalled meat
Officials of three local fast-food restaurants and the school district said Monday that they do not get beef from the California company that had to recall 143 million pounds of beef.
“None of the raw beef, ground beef used in our school lunch program comes from this company involved in this recall,” Washoe County School District spokesman Steve Mulvenon said.
Officials estimate that about 37 million pounds of the recalled beef went to school lunch programs, but they believe most of the meat probably has already been eaten. There have been no reported illnesses linked to the beef at any of the schools.
Fast-food chains
In-N-Out Burger, McDonald’s and Wendy’s spokespersons said they do not buy beef from the Westland/Hallmark Meat Co., which supplies meat to the federal school lunch program and to some major fast-food chains.
“No McDonald’s anywhere in the U.S. were effected because we don’t purchase any beef from that supplier,” said Danya Proud of McDonald’s.
One corporation stopped using the beef product from the meat company after an undercover video from the Humane Society of the United States surfaced showing crippled and sick animals being shoved with forklifts.
“A few weeks ago when we became aware of the situation, we immediately notified our suppliers to not use any beef from this company, which was used in a very small portion of our beef supply in the west,” Rob Poetsch, director of public relations for Taco Bell Co., said in a news release.
No restaurants in the Reno area used the beef.
Animal cruelty
The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Sunday recalled the frozen beef from the company in Chino, Calif., after the video emerged showing unacceptable and cruel behavior, USDA spokesman Keith Williams said.
“(The animals are) supposed to be put to death quickly and humanely,” Williams said. “They’re never to be prodded. They’re never to be poked or pushed with the forklift, even if they’re going to be slaughtered.”
Williams said the company did not contact a veterinarian when cattle became non-ambulatory after passing inspection, violating health regulations.
This is the largest beef recall in the United States, surpassing a 1999 ban of 35 million pounds of ready-to-eat meats, Williams said.
About 150 school districts around the nation have stopped using ground beef from Hallmark Meat Packing Co., which is associated with Westland.
For more information, visit www.usda.gov/actions.
This article originally appeared in Reno Gazette-Journal.
