Earlier this week, we brought you word of a sizable recall of meat that could have come from livestock that was ill. The products derived from these diseased animals reportedly were shipped out without even going through an inspection by the Food Safety and Inspection Service. That one-two punch was sufficient to prompt a recall.
Now, the entire issue will receive an inquiry from the Department of Agriculture. Basically, officials want to know how 8.7 million pounds of meat could have been made available for human consumption without going through the vital mechanisms that could ensure safety.
The recall was issued by the Petaluma, California-based Rancho Feeding Corporation, and the meat could have been sold at 14 places throughout the state. This also isn’t the only recall that the company has been responsible for in recent weeks. Even more meat was previously recalled because of a similar inspection issue, although that incident made no note of the livestock in question being diseased.
The good news is that no one has reported getting sick in association with anything from the company, and to ensure that continues, persons who think they may have the various products in their possession should not eat the food. Stay tuned for more developments as the USDA carries out its investigation into the company, which has suspended operations until further notice.