Can someone explain the beef recall to me?

[Kahns Krazy]

143 million pounds of beef have been recalled because the slaughterhouse in question has some animal cruelty issues, including moving cows with a forklift.

"We don't know how much product is out there right now. We don't think there is a health hazard, but we do have to take this action," said Dr. Dick Raymond, USDA Undersecretary for Food Safety.

In fact, they believe most of it has already been eaten, and no sickness has been tied to this beef.

While I am in favor of keeping things as humane as possible, the act of killing an animal, chopping and grinding it up, throwing it on a fire for a while then eating it isn't really the friendliest thing you can do to it. Do I really care if it was poked with a forklift before that?

Does it really do anyone any good to label food that has already been consumed by humans as "unfit for human consumption"?

I really, really don't get this move. I'd much rather see the cost of the recall levied on the company as a huge fine.

[PM Thor]

I think it has to do with the fact that they treated animals as poorly as they did, and in doing so might be an indicator of other areas in which they would cut corners.

It sounds like they couldn't find anything truly to pin on this company, and a "fine" wouldn't really be noticed by the regular public, but if they put out a recall that seems to get more attention, for whatever reason.

I agree with you though. In fact, it sounds rather arbitrary and kind of vindictive, because from now on, this meat company will have that label on it...

They should have just been fined.

[boozehound]

I agree that they probably should have just been fined. Personally I don't really care that much what they do to the cows as long as it won't make me sick. I love animals, and am not big on animal cruelty, but I love beef. Since the process for producing beef is inherently cruel I just don't overthink it and it doesn't bother me.

[Muskie]

Actually, i think it has more to do with the term "Downer Cows" (cows that cannot walk). These cows pose an added risk of mad cow disease, and therefore are not allowed into the food supply. The video seems to imply that Downer cow meat was being mixed in with regular meat, which is against the protocols.

[Kahns Krazy]

"Added risk" is a relative term. As far as I can tell, there have been 2 cases of bovine mad cow disease and no cases of transmission to humans in the United States. I am more likely to win the lottery twice in a row than catch mad cow disease in this country.

[Stonebreaker]

Here's the deal Kahn.........You are being recalled. Deal with it.

[Kahns Krazy]

I don't want to deal with it. Beef prices are already up like 100% in the last few years. I can't imagine that attempting to pull 143 million pounds of beef off the market, along with the associated costs, will do anything except drive ground beef over $3 per pound.

If you like your Quatburger cheap, you should be against it too.

(Oh, and there is very little actual beef most Kahn's products, so I'm not to worried about myself.)

[Stonebreaker]

I hope your brothers and sisters will be ok. I'm not liking the recall at all, but safety first. In '95, I ate at a fast food place (I never went there before), and hours later heard about people dying from their burgers.
I was a very unhappy cow-eater that day.

Plus....you can always 'Eat more chikin'.

[Kahns Krazy]

I hope your brothers and sisters will be ok. I'm not liking the recall at all, but safety first. In '95, I ate at a fast food place (I never went there before), and hours later heard about people dying from their burgers.
I was a very unhappy cow-eater that day.

Plus....you can always 'Eat more chikin'.

Oooh oooh oooh. I love Chick-Fil-A. I could eat it 6 days a week.

[X-band '01]

Count me in as one who would rather go to a chicken place (KFC, Popeye's, Bojangles, Zaxby's, Church's, Chick-Fil-A) than a generic fast-food place.