Cargill, The School Lunch Program And The Latest Beef Recall

Grist:

As I reported last week, a large-scale California beef-packing plant owned by Cargill churned out, packaged up, and distributed widely some 830,000 pounds of ground beef tainted with antibiotic-resistant salmonella. At least 28 people in three states have been laid low by the pathogen. For salmonella, the CDC reckons that for every confirmed illness, 38 people have actually fallen ill. Thus we can assume that around 1000 people have caught the bug.

Read the whole story: Grist

Comments

[CoconutLime]

You can definitely eat grass-fed beef or buffalo. Do NOT eat beef that has been fed corn - this is the underlying cause of the e-coli problem. Cattle were NEVER meant to eat corn.

Same thing with chicken - do NOT eat chicken that has been fed corn.

[CR46]

No one should buy pre-ground meat of ANY type. Buy cheaper cuts and grind it yourself if you want ground beef, turkey chicken, pork etc. I use a small hand grinder that bolts to my countertop--your mom or grandma may have had the same type.

[jsarets]

But be careful, because next to can openers, meat grinders are the hardest kitchen appliances to keep clean. Personally, I opt for the food processor for home use. It chops rather than grinds, but for many common applications (especially burgers), I like the chopped texture better than ground.

I don't think that store-ground meat is much of a risk. The stuff that arrives at the store already ground and packed in those cylindrical wrappers is more suspect. If I'm making a meatloaf or something, then I'll usually pick out steaks or a roast myself and have the butcher counter grind it up fresh.

[CoconutLime]

Some food processors have a grinding tool. If I am not wrong Kitchen Aid has one...

[Waltfl]

That does not come as a surprise. My wife has food intolerances and cannot eat any store-bought meat. She gets cramps and chest pains from junk-meat but can eat game. It took us three years to find that out. During this time she got misdiagnosed several times, by doctors who gave her pain pills for PID or fibromyalgia.

Once we knew meat was the problem, we started looking into meat production. It is stomach turning. It is a disgrace how animals are being raised and transported. Turkeys, cattle, chicken, and pigs get pumped full of hormones to make them grow faster (more money) and antibiotics, to keep the weakened animals from getting infections. Conditions in Mexico, where chains like Publix buy most of their meat are even worse. Often, conditions in packing plants and slaughter houses are beyond description. Bon appetit!

Unless I am on the road or are invited I try to stay clear from farm-raised meats. We are not eating store-bought meat any more. I hunt, make my own ground pork and my own sausages. After feeding him game and wild pork even my dog isn't crazy about junk meat any more.

[CoconutLime]

I think you should substitute "farm-raised meats" with "factory farm-raised meats." Buying organic farm-raised beef, buffalo, chicken, pork is fine. It's the factory farms that are the culprit here. Be careful who you accuse...

[iworshipthedoggod]

sorry for the spelling in the last one,the point is factory farms are not safe at all.most are cramped and hot,unskilled workers,and sick animals were allowed in the food supply ,downer cows were just recently removed from the slaughter line,how does that make you feel?its very disturbing­.makes me wonder how many ill chickens or pigs or turkeys are allowed for slaughter.­gross.

[iworshipthedoggod]

the only way to ensure safe meat,no matter the animal is to raise it yorself and slaughter it yourself,or have someone come to your property and do it(on site slaughter),or buy organic from small family farms.the united states is a factory farm illness away from an epidemic.

[Waltfl]

That's what I do.

[CR46]

I raise my own also, and do sell to a small butcher shop in the area. Some small butcher shops(the ones that haven't been squeezed out by big stores) DO know where their meat is from.

[BannedNBoston]

Break up Cargill Lays and all the other big ag companies.­!!!

[CoconutLime]

Good luck with that one. When the USDA is in bed with them that is going to be difficult.

[laucarlson]

Check out the Animal Welfare Approved website for where to get food that's raised ethically and humanely. It's at www.animalwelfareapproved.org

[joebaggadonuts]

It's probably passe already but did you notice that it was anti-biotic resistant salmonella, not just salmonella? That's likely happening because Cargill is likely feeding cattle antibiotics to make them grow faster at a level which encourages antibiotic resistance. I keep thinking about how doctors are now afraid to prescribe antibiotics to humans because they want to be careful about inducing antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria in humans, while these food industrials do it without consequence, seemingly on purpose with no regulatory oversight. What's wrong with this picture? Everything.

[TigersEye]

This seems to happen more and more often with ground beef. I haven't eaten ground beef in years and don't feed it to my family. I don't miss it, if I'm going to eat beef I'll have a steak from a grass fed, locally grown cow. I'm eating less meat in general than I did years ago anyway.

[CR46]

You can also just grind up a chuck roast and there you have ground beef that you know is not contaminated. I never grind meat unless I am going to use it immediately. Same goes for chicken turkey, pork etc. Hand grinders cost a couple of bucks, inexpensive electric ones are readily available.

[TrueBlue1112]

Go veg; think about suffering these poor creatures go through before they get on our plates. Think about the fact that if they were allowed and able to choose, they would choose to live. It is true that pathogens can be ingested by eating fruit and veggies, peanut butter, cookie dough et cetera (we don't have much control over that, other than stop eating just about anything unless you're able to grow your own food in your own backyard, and of course, the old staples: wash everything several times if necessary, and cook everything until fully cooked...)­, but there are so many other reasons to stop eating meat, contracting some sort of a terrible, potentially fatal disease notwithstanding.

[Seán O'Nilbud]

Vegetarians are so boring why would you do that? Also you're missing essential dietary requirements and chlorophyll is carcinogenic.

[Roguer]

Yes, think about the suffering of all those animals in the wild that would choose to live, but reproduce like mice, elk, antelope, rabbits, etc. and are merely food for other animals. Oh the horror... the cycle of life.

Please... have you never watched what a cat does to a mouse.

I have watched my cattle from start to finish, there is absolutely no suffering involved.

Note: I have issues with the corporate run food industry. This is why my animals do not enter into that system. I do not support (through my purchases) any factory or processed food. It is easy enough to do. If you wish to not eat meat, that is your business and your overall health detriment not to. But don't play the moralistic card, it falls flat on those that see a benefit to eating meat and is merely irritating.

I have seen the vegetarian alternatives to meat, they are no better than eating at McDonald's. Heavily processed, full of cholesterol and sodium.

[GuyRC]

Right, if animals treat other animals inhumanely we should be able to also!

[prosha]

don't be silly, fruits and veggies would rather not be eaten either.

[prosha]

yeah, they eat and sleep and get fat and then zap they're dinner. much worse than running around grabbing a bit of grass here and there while dodging the lions. g d humans, mucking with nature and all...

[Roguer]

Eat locally grown, grass fed beef. Eat locally grown fruits and vegetables. Simple solutions.

For those vegans using this as a chance to chime in.... peppers from Mexico, peanut butter, cookie dough, etc. It is a problem with corporate food, factories, and processing. Salmonella and e-coli can be in any food if not handled properly.

[KIVPossum]

Locally grown doesn't automatically mean higher quality or safety. Many small farmers overuse pesticides and herbicides to improve their yield.

If you want to go local, go local...vi­sit the places, know your farmer, pick your own, grow your own, find a farmer to let you pasture your own beef.

[Roguer]

Or at least visit the farm...

I am happy to give tours of my farm... all my cattle have records from birth to finish. My butcher has three inspectors on hand at time of (for lack of a better word) slaughter, including a humane handling inspector.

I also grow fruit and veggies. If the product looks too good, it probably has been sprayed.

But, yes, get to know your food source.

[Roguer]

BTW, pre-ordering a beef is permitted in my model. However, I do not allow outside animals to be brought onto my farm. I do not want outside, possibly sick animals (which happens most often from transportation) to possibly infect my herd. I do not use antibiotics, but would have to resort to them if outside stock was brought in.

[Roguer]

And I think you would find that small, local farms use minimal chemicals, as they are costly. And most small farms do not have that big of margin to was on unnecessary expenses.

[Gover]

Because I'm poor?

[StopGlobalWarmingBeVegan]

Just be veg.

[xstevejx]

Sorry, I like my life to be less boring than that.

[freethehens]

I would bet my diet is much more interesting and varied than most omnis. I would do some reasearch and check out vegan recipes and restaurants before you draw that conclusion.

[Gover]

There was just a huge scare with peanut butter and e. coli and before that pistachios and salmonella.

There are plenty of vegetarian foods recalled for contamination.

[freethehens]

Primarily due to contamination from animal waste used as fertilizers, etc.

Veganic gardening would resolve most of those issues - except for human fecal matter.

[texhall00]

I forgot to mention, if it doesn't come from the trees nor from the ground, I don't eat it.

[Seán O'Nilbud]

So you eat birds then.

[prosha]

u r cool and very clever

[freethehens]

I don't eat anyone, or the secretions of anyone, that poops.

[NWBrunette]

Stop eating beef. More and more, your life quite literally depends on it.

[prosha]

yeah, but i like it. living a long time is not the only worthwhile goal.

[CoconutLime]

Wrong. Stop eating factory-farm raised beef that has been force fed corn to fatten them up for market. Cattle were never meant to eat corn. They should be eating grass, hay, etc.

Organically-raised beef is fine for you and your body needs meat. I eat more grass-fed buffalo than anything lately. You haven't had a steak until you have a buffalo steak cooked on the grill. Mmm... Mmm... Mmm...

[CitizenL]

From a non-carnivore, bon appetit! ( As long as there is demand, they will do it)