HOLLISTER
Two area school districts have confirmed today they found the beef recently recalled by Chino-based Westland/Hallmark Meat Co., and one of them – the North County Joint Union School District – has more than 500 pounds of the meat.
North County’s School Services Manager Shannon Hansen said today the district found 14 cases of the Westland/Hallmark Meat Co. ground beef – each containing 40-pound packages. North County is the district that includes Spring Grove School.
While the rural district reported having the highest amount locally of the recalled beef, the Hollister School District’s food services department also confirmed finding some of the affected beef, though just two cases of it.
The Hollister School District has disposed of its beef, according to a statement. North County is waiting to hear back how to properly dispose of its meat, which food handlers have kept sealed and separated in a freezer, Hansen said.
U.S. Department of Agriculture officials announced the recall Sunday of 143 million pounds of the Westland/Hallmark beef after seeing undercover video taken by the Humane Society of the United States showing sick animals at the slaughterhouse being abused and pushed around with forklifts. There has been no confirmation of illness linked to the beef, but the slaughterhouse conditions leave a remote possibility of health consequences.
Officials have estimated that 55 million pounds of the recalled beef went to USDA nutrition programs, mostly to schools.
Hansen said North County officials were told Jan. 31 to place their potentially tainted beef on hold. They received a second notice Feb. 8 extending the hold until Feb. 19.
Hansen emphasized that the district – one of the few to actually prepare food in the school kitchen – has replaced its beef products in the time being with ground chicken and ground turkey products.
The Hollister School District, the county’s largest school district, in a statement released today said it received the brand and product codes of all the affected beef items produced since October 2006 and ended up finding the two cases.
San Benito High School did not have any of the recalled meat, as it doesn’t carry commodity beef, said Brenda Pinnsonault, district food services supervisor.
It’s unclear whether other area districts had the recalled beef.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
