LOS ANGELES -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced yesterday the recall of 143 million pounds of raw and frozen beef from a troubled California 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.
Department spokesman Keith Williams noted that yesterday's beef recall, while the largest in history, was not based on the same levels of concern for public health as in some previous recalls.
"There is a remote probability of any serious health concern ... but we are taking this action because of our regulations" and an abundance of caution, he said of the recall.
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 nonambulatory after being inspected, the release said.
A phone message left for Westland President Steve Mendell was not immediately returned.
Problems at the plant, about 35 miles east of Los Angeles, first went public after 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 nonambulatory 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 called for an independent investigation into the National School Lunch Program, for which Hallmark was a top supplier.
Two former employees were charged Friday. Five felony counts of animal cruelty and three misdemeanors were filed against a pen manager. Three misdemeanor counts - illegal movement of a nonambulatory animal - were filed against an employee who worked under that manager. Both were fired.
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 yesterday.
The USDA recall list issued yesterday includes beef products with Westland, King Meat Co., Regal and Hallmark Meat Packing labels.
Authorities said the video showed workers kicking, shocking and otherwise abusing "downer" animals that were apparently too sick or injured to walk into the slaughterhouse. Some animals had water forced down their throats, San Bernardino County prosecutor Michael Ramos said.
No charges have been filed against Westland, but an investigation by federal authorities continues.
Officials estimate that about 37 million pounds of the recalled beef went to school programs, but they believe most of the meat probably has already been eaten.
"We don't know how much product is out there right now. We don't think there is a health hazard, but we do have to take this action," said Dr. Dick Raymond, USDA undersecretary for food safety.
Federal regulations call for keeping downed cattle out of the food supply because they may pose a higher risk of contamination from E. coli, salmonella or mad cow disease because they typically wallow in feces and their immune systems are often weak.
About 150 school districts around the nation have stopped using ground beef from Hallmark Meat Packing Co., which is associated with Westland. Two fast-food chains, Jack-In-the-Box and In-N-Out, said they would not use beef from Westland/Hallmark.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.