PETALUMA, Calif.–It was nine million lbs. of beef products the feds called “unfit for human consumption”. The meat was used in products like Hot Pockets, and made it to 35 states before it got recalled. Now it has been found out that you may have eaten meat from cows with cancer.
The federal government said this weekend that “beef” from the Rancho Feeding Corp. was supposed to have been thoroughly inspected, but an investigation now shows the company was able to trick the inspectors a use meat from cows that had a form of eye cancer. The Petaluma, Calif. company may have hidden the warning signs.
The recall went out in January, so all the meat is off the shelves and is not being sold any longer. The stores listed below all have safe meat now, as far as the feds are concerned.
No one has been proven to have gotten sick from the beef. The meat products made it to Cash Saver, Chevron, Exxon, Food Giant, Market Basket, Piggly Wiggly, Ramey’s, Rouses Market, and Vowell’s stors in Mississippi.
LINK: List of stores included in recall: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/0871ce45-1c81-4af8-99c5-e0d0d60216c5/RC-013-2014-Retail-List.pdf?MOD=AJPERES
The feds are now saying that the company would process the cancerous cows, then hide the cancer warning signs by trimming away the diseased portions, switching the heads for heads of healthy cows and sometimes even use a phony stamp of approval.
Investigators found out through a tip from an employee. They started surveillance and raided Rancho in January.
When they got confirmation that the cancerous cows had been used in their beef product, the recall went out.
Another surprise in the investigation was that a high-level Rancho employee and one of the federal inspectors had a relationship. That info came from an e-mail obtained in the investigation.
What this means for you is that you may have eaten some of this beef that made it to Mississippi in one form or another.
Now, according to CNN, charges will likely be filed in the case.
