http://www.northjersey.com/news/NJ_schools_must_destroy_beef.html
Where's the recalled beef? Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Last Updated Tuesday February 26, 2008, EST 7:39 AM
BY KATHLEEN CARROLLSTAFF WRITER
Eleven school districts and six Catholic schools in North Jersey received meat that they must destroy as part of the nation's largest beef recall.
Statewide, about 140 school districts and 15 parochial schools received 168,000 pounds of now-recalled beef products sent through the federal school lunch program, state agriculture officials said Monday.
Students have consumed some of the now-recalled products, including in Palisades Park and West Milford. The meat originated at a California meatpacker accused of slaughtering sick and crippled cows and poses a "remote possibility" of sickening those who eat it, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
There have been no reports of illnesses in New Jersey or nationwide, said New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Charles M. Kuperus.
That's cold comfort to educators in Lodi, where students and staff at all seven schools in the fall ate taco meat that has now been recalled.
"First and foremost, my responsibility is keeping kids safe. So this is very upsetting," said Superintendent Frank Quatrone. "We were fortunate in that there weren't repercussions and no one was ill. I'm certainly hoping that tighter sanctions are going to be developed. ... It's quite alarming."
In New Jersey, five lunch foods were made with now-recalled beef: taco meat, meat patties, frozen sandwich steaks, meatballs and beef barbecue nuggets. The products were shipped between February 2006 and last month from Pierre Foods of Cincinnati, Ohio; Maid-Right Steak Company of Dunmore, Pa.; and Silver Springs Farm of Harleysville, Pa.
The beef originated at Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. of Chico, Calif. On Jan. 30, the USDA ordered that 143 million pounds of Westland beef be placed on "hold" and not served. Then, last week, officials recalled the products, meaning the meat must be destroyed.
The recall came after revelations that the slaughterhouse apparently included "downer cows," which cannot walk on their own, in the food supply. Such animals are considered unsafe to consume because they are more likely to harbor disease.
Nationwide, about 50 million pounds of the now-recalled beef were sent to schools as part of the federal lunch program for poor children. Federal officials said 20 million pounds were eaten, 15 million pounds are in storage and 15 million pounds are still being located.
New Jersey agriculture officials noted that the 168,000-pound recall represents a small portion of the 24 million pounds of food shipped annually to the state under the USDA program. Statewide, 583 out of 616 school districts participate in the program.
Local school districts have been scrambling in recent days to determine whether any of the now-recalled products were served in their cafeterias, and when. Tracing the beef is arduous because the products pass through many hands: from the USDA to food processors, and then to local distribution companies that supply school district cafeterias.
State agriculture officials on Monday released the list of affected districts and parochial schools. Those schools were asked to check their food inventory and notify state agriculture officials whether they had any of the now-recalled beef.
Many local districts had already destroyed or returned the now-recalled beef.
In West Milford, which served now-recalled beef in hamburgers and tacos this fall, officials had already destroyed 10 boxes, Business Administrator Steven Cea said. In Bergenfield, officials found two unopened boxes of now-recalled meat in recent weeks and returned them to a food provider, Business Administrator Tom Egan said.
Bloomingdale and Kinnelon were also included in the state's list, but were told by their caterer that they hadn't received the now-recalled products.
"There's nothing to worry about," said Kinnelon Superintendent James Opiekun. "I have absolute assurance from the food service that none of the beef was used in our food supply."
And in other cases, it was hard to tell. In Fair Lawn, officials were told they hadn't received products involved in the recall, only to learn later that they may have been sent now-recalled products from a different company.
"We're going to get to the bottom of this," said Superintendent Bruce Watson. "The good news is we haven't had any reports of anyone getting sick at all."
Staff Writers Jan Barry, Elaine D'Aurizio, Giovanna Fabiano, Samantha Henry and James Yoo contributed to this article.
Eleven school districts and six Catholic schools in North Jersey received meat that they must destroy as part of the nation's largest beef recall.
Statewide, about 140 school districts and 15 parochial schools received 168,000 pounds of now-recalled beef products sent through the federal school lunch program, state agriculture officials said Monday.
Students have consumed some of the now-recalled products, including in Palisades Park and West Milford. The meat originated at a California meatpacker accused of slaughtering sick and crippled cows and poses a "remote possibility" of sickening those who eat it, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
There have been no reports of illnesses in New Jersey or nationwide, said New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Charles M. Kuperus.
That's cold comfort to educators in Lodi, where students and staff at all seven schools in the fall ate taco meat that has now been recalled.
"First and foremost, my responsibility is keeping kids safe. So this is very upsetting," said Superintendent Frank Quatrone. "We were fortunate in that there weren't repercussions and no one was ill. I'm certainly hoping that tighter sanctions are going to be developed. ... It's quite alarming."
In New Jersey, five lunch foods were made with now-recalled beef: taco meat, meat patties, frozen sandwich steaks, meatballs and beef barbecue nuggets. The products were shipped between February 2006 and last month from Pierre Foods of Cincinnati, Ohio; Maid-Right Steak Company of Dunmore, Pa.; and Silver Springs Farm of Harleysville, Pa.
The beef originated at Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. of Chico, Calif. On Jan. 30, the USDA ordered that 143 million pounds of Westland beef be placed on "hold" and not served. Then, last week, officials recalled the products, meaning the meat must be destroyed.
The recall came after revelations that the slaughterhouse apparently included "downer cows," which cannot walk on their own, in the food supply. Such animals are considered unsafe to consume because they are more likely to harbor disease.
Nationwide, about 50 million pounds of the now-recalled beef were sent to schools as part of the federal lunch program for poor children. Federal officials said 20 million pounds were eaten, 15 million pounds are in storage and 15 million pounds are still being located.
New Jersey agriculture officials noted that the 168,000-pound recall represents a small portion of the 24 million pounds of food shipped annually to the state under the USDA program. Statewide, 583 out of 616 school districts participate in the program.
Local school districts have been scrambling in recent days to determine whether any of the now-recalled products were served in their cafeterias, and when. Tracing the beef is arduous because the products pass through many hands: from the USDA to food processors, and then to local distribution companies that supply school district cafeterias.
State agriculture officials on Monday released the list of affected districts and parochial schools. Those schools were asked to check their food inventory and notify state agriculture officials whether they had any of the now-recalled beef.
Many local districts had already destroyed or returned the now-recalled beef.
In West Milford, which served now-recalled beef in hamburgers and tacos this fall, officials had already destroyed 10 boxes, Business Administrator Steven Cea said. In Bergenfield, officials found two unopened boxes of now-recalled meat in recent weeks and returned them to a food provider, Business Administrator Tom Egan said.
Bloomingdale and Kinnelon were also included in the state's list, but were told by their caterer that they hadn't received the now-recalled products.
"There's nothing to worry about," said Kinnelon Superintendent James Opiekun. "I have absolute assurance from the food service that none of the beef was used in our food supply."
And in other cases, it was hard to tell. In Fair Lawn, officials were told they hadn't received products involved in the recall, only to learn later that they may have been sent now-recalled products from a different company.
"We're going to get to the bottom of this," said Superintendent Bruce Watson. "The good news is we haven't had any reports of anyone getting sick at all."
Staff Writers Jan Barry, Elaine D'Aurizio, Giovanna Fabiano, Samantha Henry and James Yoo contributed to this article.
