Fwd: Finding safe meat during the largest meat recall in U.S. History!

[Guest guest]

Dear Lynn

 

Learn more about where to find good

meat!

 

The safety of our meat supply has been called into

question once again. Find safe meat in your area by supporting your

local farmers:

 

 

www.eatwellguide.org

 

You've probably heard about the most recent meat recall (the largest in

U.S. history), and may have even seen the disturbing video footage from

inside the Hallmark/Westland meat plant. This is just the latest in a

long line of failures from our broken food safety system. However, as

always, there is more to the story than what you see on the

news.

Food & Water Watch has sent a letter to the U.S. Department of

Agriculture, urging them to do a thorough investigation of what went

wrong at the Hallmark/Westland meat plant in Chino, California, and to

further investigate the inspector shortages and top down orders that keep

meat inspectors from doing their jobs.

You can see our full letter to the USDA here:

 

http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/food/foodsafety/meat-inspection-1/letter-to-secretary-of-agriculture-ed-schafer

 

 

And you can learn more about the entire issue here:

 

http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/food/foodsafety/meat-inspection-1/video-reveals-big-problems-at-meat-plant

 

The February 18, 2008 announcement that more than 140 million pounds of

frozen ground beef produced by a plant in California was being recalled

has sparked lots of media coverage, not only because of the sheer size of

the recall (the largest in U.S. history) but because of the dramatic

video footage of the humane handling violations at the plant that sparked

the recall. To top it off, the company that produced the recalled

meat, Hallmark/Westland, is the second largest supplier of ground beef to

the National School Lunch Program. The plant suspended operation

after the USDA removed its inspectors on February 4th.

We're calling for an investigation into the possibility that USDA meat

inspectors were instructed not to enter the part of the meat plant where

" downer " cows were repeatedly forced into the human food

supply. Downer cows are prohibited from use in human food because

of their elevated risk for mad cow disease.

While investigations continue around our national food safety systems, we

know that there is one way you can be sure that you're receiving safe

meat for your family; by knowing where it's from, and how it was

raised. You can find local sources of meat, and other food

by visiting the Eat Well Guide at

 

www.eatwellguide.org

 

Thanks for your continued support,

Sarah Alexander

Food and Water Watch

food(at)fwwatch.org

P.S. Stay tuned for more action on this issue in the next few days.