Petaluma Firm's Massive Beef Recall Affecting Over 1,000 Establishments

Update, Feb. 19:

A Petaluma company’s recall of nearly 9 million pounds of beef is now affecting more than 1,000 establishments in 29 states and Canada, according to The Press Democrat. Nestle is voluntarily recalling some of its Hot Pockets because they might contain affected meat from Rancho Feeding Corp. The Press Democrat has published a list of products subject to the beef recall.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has deemed products made from meat processed at Rancho Feeding Corp. in 2013 unfit for consumption because it processed diseased animals without a full federal inspection. So far, no illnesses have been reported. But the closure of the North Bay region’s only slaughterhouse is having a profound effect on ranchers.

KQED’s Mina Kim talked on Wednesday with Stephanie Larson, director of the University of California Cooperative Extension for Sonoma County and livestock range management adviser:

Original Post, Feb. 9 from The Associated Press:

A Petaluma company is recalling more than 8.7 million pounds of beef products because it processed diseased and unhealthy animals without a full federal inspection, federal officials said Saturday.

That’s just over a year’s worth of meat products processed by Rancho Feeding Corp., which has been under scrutiny by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. The agency said that without full inspection, the recalled products are unfit for human consumption. It also said no illness associated with the products has been reported so far.

The products were processed from Jan. 1, 2013, through Jan. 7, 2014, and shipped to distribution centers and retail stores in California, Florida, Illinois and Texas. The food inspection service said in an announcement Saturday the following Rancho Feeding products are subject to recall:

• “Beef Carcasses” (wholesale and custom sales only)
• 2 per box “Beef (Market) Heads” (retail only)
• 4-gallons per box “Beef Blood” (wholesale only)
• 20-lb. boxes of “Beef Oxtail”
• 30-lb. boxes of “Beef Cheeks”
• 30-lb. boxes of ” Beef Lips”
• 30-lb. boxes of “Beef Omasum”
• 30-lb. boxes of “Beef Tripas”
• 30-lb. boxes of “Mountain Oysters”
• 30-lb. boxes of “Sweet Breads”
• 30- and 60-lb. boxes of “Beef Liver”
• 30- and 60-lb. boxes of “Beef Tripe”
• 30- and 60-lb. boxes of “Beef Tongue”
• 30- and 60-lb. boxes of “Veal Cuts”
• 40-lb. boxes of “Veal Bones”
• 50-lb. boxes of “Beef Feet”
• 50-lb. boxes of “Beef Hearts”
• 60-lb. boxes of “Veal Trim”

Last month the company recalled more than 40,000 pounds of meat products produced on Jan. 8 that also didn’t undergo a full inspection.

The problems were discovered as part of an ongoing investigation, the FSIS said.

A call to the company went unanswered.

There have been no reports of illnesses. A Food Safety and Inspection Service spokesman said because some of the products could still be frozen and in storage, a Class I recall was issued because the meat product could cause serious, adverse health consequences.