Martinsville Bulletin, Inc.
P. O. Box 3711
204 Broad Street
Martinsville, Virginia 24115
276-638-8801
Toll Free: 800-234-6575
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Wednesday, February 20, 2008
By PAUL COLLINS - Bulletin Staff Writer
The Henry County School System has some of the tainted beef that is being recalled nationwide, but Martinsville City Schools and Patrick County Schools do not.
That is according to Tim Baker, environmental manager for the West Piedmont Health District of the Virginia Department of Health. The district includes the city of Martinsville and Henry, Patrick and Franklin counties.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Sunday that Westland/Hallmark Meat Co., based in Chino, Calif., had recalled about 143 million pounds of beef, the largest recall in U.S. history, according to The New York Times.
According to The Associated Press, the recall affects beef products dating to Feb. 1, 2006. Agriculture officials estimate that about 37 million pounds of the recalled beef went to school programs, but they believe most of the meat probably already has been eaten.
“We don’t know how much product is out there right now. We don’t think there is a health hazard, but we do have to take this action,” Dr. Dick Raymond, USDA undersecretary for food safety, told the AP.
Attempts to reach Marci Lexa, director of food services for Henry County Public Schools, were unsuccessful Tuesday. Sharon Dodson, superintendent of the school system, said she had had a brief conversation with Lexa. Dodson said none of the tainted beef was being served in schools but she did not know if the tainted beef had been served in schools.
She had received no reports of anyone becoming sick if in fact the tainted beef was served, she said.
The recalled beef will be disposed of according to USDA regulations, Dodson said. She referred other questions to Lexa.
Kimberly Blackburn, corporate communications manager for Food Lion, which has 1,300 stores in 11 states, including some in this area, said Food Lion stores are not affected by the recall.
The manager of the Kroger grocery store on Commonwealth Boulevard in Martinsville also said that store was not affected.
According to the AP, the recall was prompted after undercover video taken at the Westland/Hallmark Meat Co. showed workers shocking, kicking and shoving debilitated cattle with forklifts. Federal regulations call for keeping sick or injured animals, called downer or downed cattle, out of the food supply because they may pose a higher risk of contamination from E. coli, salmonella or mad cow disease since they typically wallow in feces and their immune systems are often weak, according to the AP.
The recall has been classified as Class II, which indicates a remote possibility of adverse health consequences from use of products, Baker said. |
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