Issues with beef supplied to schools

The LA Times reports that the USDA has shut down a beef plant at Chino because it has been alleged that meat from sick and poorly treated cattle has entered the food supply chain. Cattle that cannot walk are banned from use as human food. This is due to the fact that they show a higher occurrence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, (BSE) otherwise known as mad cow disease.

The Food Poisoning Blog reports from the USDA Statement that the "USDA at the time of the hold also indefinitely suspended the eligibility of Westland Meat Packing Company to participate as a supplier to Federal food and nutrition programs, specifically the National School Lunch Program, the Emergency Food Assistance Program and the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations."

There is no evidence that unsafe meat was produced but the whole process has highlighted big issues with regard to animal welfare and food safety.