Sometime I Hate Being Right

Many years ago I decided that ground beef would never again touch my lips nor those of my kids. The only ground beef we eat is what I buy and grind myself. Today's news about the largest ground beef recall in US history is what I always feared. Now I look sane to all those who thought I was fringe. I wish I had been wrong.

First, I'd like to thank the Humane Society for bringing the reckless behavior of Westland/Hallmark Meat Company to light. Please take a minute to view their videos showing abuses at this and other slaughterhouses so you can understand how inhumane and dangerous they are. Warning, they are not for the faint of heart and you may never eat ground beef again.

Who suffers when meat unfit for human consumption enters the food supply? Not me and mine because of our house rules discussed above. And because I pack my son's lunch every day, he is not exposed to the cafeteria food that I would not eat myself. Guess what? After I read him the article in today's NYT, I asked him if he understood NOW, FINALLY why I don't let him eat school lunch. He gave me a resounding YES accompanied by a vigorous, affirmative shaking of the head. I 'll take that as a thank you and promise not to ask me for the umpteenth time when I'll let him eat school lunch.

Okay, who does suffer? Consumers who think ground beef is a nutritious, tasty and inexpensive source of protein, kids who eat school lunch, including those on free and reduced lunch, and anyone who eats in institutions which participate in federal nutrition programs (read the poor and elderly). That's a whole lot of people, including our precious children! I sit here now hoping that none of them gets mad cow disease from eating those downer cows. Every parent should be outraged and should be asking their food service directors what they are doing to ensure the safety of the foods to make up school lunch.

What's gone wrong? Not enough inspectors? Lax enforcement of Federal regulations within companies that process meat? Companies putting profits before the health of consumers? All of the above and much more.

How can this be fixed? I have a few ideas. Send me yours.

1. Get the government to recognize publicly that their system for ensuring the safety of our food supply is broken.
2. Arrange a panel of experts, without ties to meat packing companies, to come up with a better system, including one that gives the USDA the right to recall products it oversees.
   
3. Get the National School Lunch Program to raise the bar on quality and understand why whole foods are the way to go and why the commodities program is problematic.
   
4. End factory farming. Support sustainable agriculture and local food systems.

I'm disgusted and hope you are too. If you want to know whether or not the recalled beef made it to your kid's cafeteria, good luck. The USDA isn't telling because of their arcane rules. Give them a ring and a piece of your mind: 202-720-4623.