Brandon and Goodrich school districts have taken action regarding the USDA recall of ground beef last week that came from the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company based in Chino, Calif.
The recall includes all Westland products delivered since Feb. 1, 2006, due to an investigation that found abuse of cattle that could render the meat unfit for human consumption. School officials from Brandon and Goodrich have confirmed that they have some of the meat that was intended for use in school lunch programs.
In Brandon, Food Services Director Suzanne Evenson said the district has about 12 cases of taco and spaghetti sauce that are part of the recall.
‘We are waiting for the USDA to tell us how to get rid of it, but it has been isolated,? said Evenson. ‘We don’t have any sick children, none of it was served. We normally order food through Gordon’s, a different distributor, but this came in as a substitute for something they were out of. We do not order from this company.?
Brandon has not received product from this company previously. They plan to stay with their current supplier and not receive any products from Hallmark/Westland in the future. All steps are being taken to ensure that only the safe products are being used in the district. Hamburgers were supposed to be on the school lunch menu on Tuesday, but Evenson changed the menu to chicken as a precaution.
In Goodrich, Food Services Director Jean Kish issued a statement saying the district has pulled any ground beef it has received from Hallmark/Westland company through the commodity distribution center.
‘Unfortunately, we believe a small portion of the beef may have been served last month before the district received notice to place a hold on the meat,? she said. ‘In fact, according to news reports, USDA officials estimate about 37 million pounds of beef went to school programs. It is believed that most of the meat has already been eaten. There have been no reported illnesses linked to the beef at any of the schools.?
Kish said that future purchases from the Hallmark/Westland Meat Company have been suspended and ground beef from a different company has been purchased and is being used for the lunch program.