Sodexho addresses the national meat recall

     The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recalled 143 million pounds of beef from Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co., a California based company that is under investigation for mistreating cattle.
     The meat in question came from already sickly cattle that were abused by kicking, shocking and pushing the animals with forklifts.
     The Hallmark/Westland Meat packing Co. distributes its meat to federal programs such as the National School Lunch Program and the Emergency Food Assistance Program, according to the USDA.
     The National School Lunch program helps public or non-profit private schools provide free or inexpensive meals that meet nutritional requirements to children. Any school district that participates in this program receives cash subsidies and donated commodities from the USDA.
Sodexo, Inc., the company that runs GCSU’s dining hall, is a participant in the National School Lunch Program.
     The company responded to the problem with a press release on its website.
     “Westland/Hallmark is not an approved supplier for Sodexo. However, due to the National School Lunch Program, it is possible that some meat from Westland/Hallmark may be in our system.”
     Sodexo also commented in the press release that an administrative voluntary nationwide hold on all products from Westland/Hallmark has been issued.
     Brandon Woodie, executive chef at the Sodexo of GCSU, assures that precautions are being taken so that none of the beef reaches GCSU’s campus.
     “Our main meat purveyor, Cisco foods, we work with them, and they have actual lot numbers,” Woodie said. “And those numbers tell you exactly where (the meat) came from.”
     Woodie further stated that the meat is checked by Cisco Foods before being shipped to Sodexo, and therefore Sodexo chefs can safely assume that the meat will have no health risks.
     Johnnie Norton, junior political science major, visits Sodexo regularly and is sure that employees are capable of making sure none of the Hallmark/Westland beef makes it to his plate.
     “It’s likely Sodexho would cooperate in the recall if they received any contaminated meat,” Norton said. “I’ve rarely seen undercooked meat at the dining hall, which tells me the dining hall cooks are well-trained in ensuring the health and safety of their customers.”

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Feb 29 2008. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry