Don’t Eat The Meat! Rancho Feeding Corp. Issues Meat Recall

If you planned on cooking hamburgers for dinner, you might want to re-think that idea and check the packaging details on your meat first.

Rancho Feeding Corp. of Petaluma, a Northern California firm, has voluntarily closed their doors, after 8.7 million pounds of beef were recalled.

The USDA issued a news release regarding the recall that took place on Saturday, February 8, 2014.

Rancho Feeding Corporation, a Petaluma, Calif. establishment, is recalling approximately 8,742,700 pounds, because it processed diseased and unsound animals and carried out these activities without the benefit or full benefit of federal inspection. Thus, the products are adulterated, because they are unsound, unwholesome or otherwise are unfit for human food and must be removed from commerce, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

According to the news release, the products, in question, were produced January 1, 2013 through January 7, 2014 and were then “shipped to distribution centers and retail establishments in California, Florida, Illinois and Texas.”

The following products were included in the recall:

•”Beef Carcasses” (wholesale and custom sales only)
•2 per box “Beef (Market) Heads” (retail only)
•4-gallons per box “Beef Blood” (wholesale only)
•20-lb. boxes of “Beef Oxtail”
•30-lb. boxes of “Beef Cheeks”
•30-lb. boxes of ” Beef Lips”
•30-lb. boxes of “Beef Omasum”
•30-lb. boxes of “Beef Tripas”
•30-lb. boxes of “Mountain Oysters”
•30-lb. boxes of “Sweet Breads”
•30- and 60-lb. boxes of “Beef Liver”
•30- and 60-lb. boxes of “Beef Tripe”
•30- and 60-lb. boxes of “Beef Tongue”
•30- and 60-lb. boxes of “Veal Cuts”
•40-lb. boxes of “Veal Bones”
•50-lb. boxes of “Beef Feet”
•50-lb. boxes of “Beef Hearts”
•60-lb. boxes of “Veal Trim”

So far, there have been no reports of illness due to the consumption of the meat. However, the news release classified the health risk as high, which means it definitely should not be eaten.

The quality control manager Scott Parks explained that they issued the recall “out of an abundance of caution”, and added that the company apologizes for any inconvenience to their customers.

This is the second recall to happen to Rancho Feeding Corp. this year. Last month, on January 13, they had to recall nearly 42,000 pounds of beef products because they did not undergo a full federal inspection. Luckily, those products were only distributed in California, and did not reach any other states.

If you have questions concerning the recent recall, you can contact Scott Parks at (707) 762-6651. You can also visit their website to find out more information on obtaining a refund for the tainted meat.

[Image via Wikimedia Commons]