On January 18 (the Martin Luther King holiday), USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a notice that it was recalling 864,000 pounds of ground beef potentially contaminated with a strain of E. coli that has caused deaths and serious illness. Some of the meat had been produced between January 5 and January 15, and was shipped to hotels, restaurants and distribution centers in California; but not all of it.
During a subsequent review of the establishment's records, FSIS also determined additional products produced and shipped in 2008 to be adulterated because they may have been contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. As a result, the following products produced from February 19, 2008 to May 15, 2008, are subject to recall:
40 lb. boxes of "Huntington Meats Ground Beef"
40 lb. boxes of " HUNTINGTON MEAT PKG. INC. BEEF GROUND FOR FURTHER PROCESSING"
40 lb. boxes of "BEEF BURRITO FILLING MIX"
10 lb. boxes of "IMPERIAL MEAT CO. GROUND BEEF PATTY"
20 lb. boxes of "IMPERIAL MEAT CO. GROUND BEEF PATTY"
10 lb. boxes of "El Rancho MEAT & PROVISION ALL BEEF PATTIES"
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro cited the recall as evidence that changes are needed at USDA.
After learning of the recent recall of 390 tons of beef for E. coli contamination, U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), a longtime proponent of stronger food safety laws, called for the creation of an independent science board to review the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) efforts to protect public health.
"While any food safety recall is a major concern to me, this one is especially alarming as some of the products included were produced almost two years ago," said DeLauro in a statement emailed to reporters. "This is a glaring indication that the current inspection system for meat and poultry is inherently flawed and not sufficient to protect the public health."
There is one problem with that proposal: FSIS has a long history of reprisal against employees who conscientiously carry out their duties and truthfully report problems. Providing stronger whistleblower protections to FSIS and other federal employees is essential to reform. Even the best review board would never get to the bottom of many problems without the assistance of insiders.
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