Schools stop use of beef from slaughterhouse under investigation
Concern is over mad cow disease, students already ate some meat
By ELIZABETH LEE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 02/12/08
Georgia schools have put on hold 178,000 pounds of beef that came from a California slaughterhouse under federal investigation for allegations that it processed cattle at higher risk of mad cow disease.
Those animals, known as downer cattle because they are unable to walk, are banned from the food supply.
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Twenty-eight Georgia school districts, including Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties, received the beef, according to the state Department of Education.
Some of the beef, which is used in everything from spaghetti sauce to taco fillings, was served to students before the agriculture department placed an administrative hold on the meat on Jan. 30, according to the state Department of Education.
Schools and a processor still have a total of 220,000 pounds left from the original shipment of 378,000 pounds. The Department of Human Resources, which received an additional 40,000 pounds of beef last summer to funnel to emergency food assistance programs, has distributed much of what it received.
The agriculture department has stopped operations at Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. while it investigates allegations the plant handled cattle inhumanely and processed downer cattle. The department ordered all meat from the plant bought for federal food and nutrition programs held through Tuesday, Feb. 19, while it continues its investigation.
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Fulton County schools have 840 cases of beef crumbles made from Hallmark/Westland meat in a warehouse, said Fulton communications director Kirk Wilks. Crumbles are cooked ground meat that is added to other foods, such as spaghetti sauce.
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Other metro districts with stocks of the meat include Clayton, with 1,100 cases; Gwinnett, with 900 ; and Cobb, with 370, said Bowers.
The Georgia Department of Human Resources also received 40,000 pounds of meat from Hallmark/Westland, which it distributed through a federal emergency food assistance program. Much of the beef was sent out last summer, and the remaining cases are on hold, said department spokeswoman Taka Wiley.
It's unclear how schools or the state would be reimbursed for costs associated with holding the beef. If schools must order beef from other sources to fill in menu gaps while the Hallmark product is on hold, the cost will come out of district budgets for now, Bowers said.
AJC
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