State schools officials said yesterday that a portion of the record 143 million pounds of ground beef recalled nationwide last weekend had been distributed in Maryland public schools systems, including Baltimore, Anne Arundel and Baltimore County.

The beef was all precooked and distributed through the U.S. Department of Agriculture school lunch program, state officials said.

William Reinhard, a spokesman for the State Department of Education, said that the meat has been marked. Reinhard said boxes of the meat had been put on hold since Jan. 31, when word of potential problems emerged.

School systems in Allegany, Montgomery, Prince George's, St. Mary's, Wicomico and Worcester counties also received the beef.

Reinhard stressed that federal investigators have received no reports yet of individuals getting sick from beef involved in the recall.

"It's important, but we don't want parents to be too alarmed," Reinhard said.

The beef recall came after federal inspectors found violations of USDA regulations at a California slaughterhouse.

On Sunday, Westland/Hallmark Meat Co. of Chino, Calif., withdrew millions of pounds of ground beef - and the government barred further sales - after an undercover video by the Humane Society of the United States showed workers using electric prods and forklifts to move apparently sick cattle for slaughter.

Federal rules require veterinarians to be contacted when previously inspected cattle become ill, but the calls were not made.

brent.jones@baltsun.com