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Undercover Video Prompts Nation's Largest Beef Recall
Government Recalls Record 143 Million Pounds of Beef From a Southern California Slaughterhouse
ABC NEWS - Feb 18, 2008
By: By LISA STARK, JESSICA HOFFMAN AND IMAEYEN IBANGA

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FoodRoutes asks if a national and international system is safer than small local producers - why is this happening?

A disturbing undercover video showing cows too sick to stand being shoved with forklifts or dragged with chains across a cement floor at a Southern California slaughterhouse has sparked the largest beef recall in the nation's history.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture ordered a recall of 143 million pounds of beef Sunday evening from Chino-based Westland/Hallmark Meat Co., which is the subject of an animal-abuse investigation. The recall affects beef products dating back to Feb. 1, 2006 that came from the company.

"Because the cattle did not receive complete and proper inspection," the Food Safety and Inspection Service said, "[it] has determined them to be unfit for human food."
The USDA insists the threat is small.
Westland/Hallmark provides meat to the National School Lunch Program and about 150 school districts have stopped using its products. Now officials are scrambling to prevent the questionable beef from reaching school lunch counters. They estimate about 37 million pounds of the beef has gone to schools.

for more on this article go to: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=4305151