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Problems in School Lunch Program Go Beyond Hallmark/Westland

By Pritzker | Ruohonen

Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing, the target of the nation’s largest beef recall ever, has been especially disturbing due to their contract with the USDA to supply beef to the School Lunch Program.  It is concerning that the government has been letting unsafe products into our nation’s schools.  Although 143 million pounds of beef were recalled from Hallmark/Westland, The Wall Street Journal reports that School Lunch Program has been at risk for years.

The Government Accountability Office has cited multiple reports that go back to 2003 criticizing the USDA for poor food safety standards and choosing to buy products from establishments known to violate food safety standards. According to The Wall Street Journal,

In a 2003 report, the GAO, the investigative arm of Congress, said "195, or about 3%, of the total of 7,390 foodborne outbreaks that were reported nationwide, between 1990-99, occurred in schools." The GAO traced about half of 40 large outbreaks to poor sanitation in school kitchens.

In the wake of the Hallmark/Westland recall, the beef industry has been asserting that the incident was unique and not representative of the industry as a whole.  However, the data suggests otherwise. Other officials also have reported that the USDA did not take proper precautions to prevent the purchase of meat contaminated with pathogens such as E. coli and Salmonella. The USDA also did not demand documentation from establishments to verify the quality of their products, some establishments did not even have any documentation to provide.  Contracts for the School Lunch Program were also awarded to establishments that the USDA knew had food safety problems, such as samples that had tested positive for E. coli.

However, the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service which is responsible for purchasing beef for government use maintains that their procedures are effective at protecting those who take advantage of government food programs. The AMS also maintains that testing procedures are strict and that AMS does all they can to purchase safe food. But the information from multiple reports and the recent Hallmark/Westland recall suggest there are many problems that need to be addressed to ensure the safety of the School Lunch Program’s beef.

Full post as published by Food Poisoning Law Blog on March 07, 2008 (boomark / email).