Massive Beef Recall: It's What's for Lunch, Kiddies

Oh yeah, this is appalling: The Agriculture Dept. has recalled 143 MILLION pounds of beef from Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing right here in California. It's the biggest meat recall in the department's history, and here's the worst part: Most of the suspect beef, which included cuts, ground, meatballs, and burrito filling, was gobbled up by students eating school lunches and other recipients of public nutrition programs.

Fast food chains including Jack in the Box and In-N-Out, who have also used Westland meat, say they won't anymore.

In fact, according to a USDA administrator: "almost all of this product is likely to have been consumed." That's just great. The USDA, though, has been quick to point out that the recalled meat posed "little or no hazard to consumers." Excuse me? They issued a massive recall of meat that posed no risk? I'm gunna go ahead and call bullshit here, just for the fun of it.

The whole hubbub began last month when a slaughterhouse worker at Hallmark Meat Packing in Chino leaked the disturbing video (above) to the Humane Society, showing workers basically bullying "downer" cows to the slaughter, which -- regardless of the cruelty involved -- is against the law saying cattle that can't stand or walk shouldn't become food.

-- Brian Bernbaum