Chairman Miller Statement on Recall of Meat Supplied to Nation’s Schools
Miller Announces Congress Intends to Hold Hearings into Safety of Foods in the National School Lunch Program

Sunday, February 17, 2008

WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, issued the following statement today in response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s decision to recall 37 million pounds of beef supplied to federal nutrition programs, the majority of which was supplied to the nation’s public schools.

Overall, the USDA announced that the recall involves 143 million pounds of beef – the largest meat recall in the history of the United States. Meat from non-ambulatory or “downer” cows presents a higher risk of E. coli, salmonella, and other dangers, and it is banned under federal law from entering the food supply.

“This recall raises alarming questions about the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s ability to monitor the safety of meat that is being shipped to our nation’s schools. It is outrageous that it took a non-governmental organization to shed light on the egregious abuses that were happening right under the USDA’s nose. More than two weeks after the Humane Society first revealed these problems with the meat supply, the USDA still can’t tell us exactly which schools may have received this tainted meat, or how much of it has already been consumed or re-processed into other foods.

“American families deserve to know that their government is doing everything it can to ensure the safety of food products that enter our nation’s schools. Today’s announcement underscores the urgent need for an independent investigation into the federal government’s efforts to safeguard the nation’s school lunch program. I believe that the severity of this issue for both our nation’s schools and consumers also demands that the Congress conduct hearings into the USDA’s efforts to ensure the safety of meat in our schools’ food supply.”

Today’s decision came after USDA determined that non-ambulatory or “downer” cows entered the supply of meat processed at the Westland/Hallmark Meat Company in Chino, California, a top supplier of beef for the National School Lunch Program.

Last week, Miller and other Democratic lawmakers called for the U.S. Government Accountability Office to investigate the safety of meat in the nation’s schools. To see the lawmakers’ letter to the GAO, click here.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tom Kiley / Rachel Racusen
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