CA Firm Expands Earlier Beef Recall An Additional 4.9m Lbs.

WASHINGTON – Huntington Meat Packing Inc., a Montebello, Calif.,
establishment, is expanding its recall of January 18 to include approximately
4.9 million additional pounds of beef and veal products that were not produced
in accordance with the company’s food safety plan. The products are adulterated
because the company made the products under insanitary conditions failing to
take the steps it had determined were necessary to produce safe products, the
U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)
announced today. FSIS has received no reports of illnesses associated with
consumption of these products. Individuals concerned about an illness should
contact a physician.

The recall was expanded based on evidence collected in an ongoing criminal
investigation being conducted by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) with
assistance from FSIS. This evidence shows that the products subject to this
recall expansion were produced in a manner that did not follow the
establishment’s Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan. A
HACCP plan describes the process controls an establishment must take to prevent
food safety hazards and create a safe and wholesome product. The investigation
has uncovered evidence to show that the food safety records of the establishment
cannot be relied upon to document compliance with the requirements. Therefore,
FSIS must consider the products to be adulterated and has acted to remove the
products from commerce.

The following beef and veal products, produced by the plant from January 22,
2009, to January 4, 2010, are subject to recall:

  • 10 lb. boxes of “IMPERIAL MEAT CO. GROUND BEEF PATTY”
  • 10 lb. boxes of “El Rancho MEAT & PROVISION ALL BEEF PATTIES”
  • 20 lb. boxes of “IMPERIAL MEAT CO. GROUND BEEF PATTY”
  • 50 lb. boxes of “HUNTINGTON MEATS GROUND BEEF”
  • 50 lb. boxes of ” HUNTINGTON MEAT PKG. INC. BEEF GROUND FOR FURTHER
    PROCESSING”
  • 50 lb. boxes of “BEEF BURRITO FILLING MIX”
  • 50 lb. boxes of “HUNTINGTON MEAT PKG. INC. DICED BEEF”
  • 50 lb. boxes of “HUNTINGTON MEAT PKG. INC. SLICED BEEF”
  • 10 lb. boxes of “Huntington Meat VEAL PATTY”
  • 10 lb. boxes of “Imperial Meat VEAL PATTY”
  • 10 lb. boxes of “El Rancho VEAL PATTY”
  • 20 lb. boxes of “Huntington Meat VEAL PATTY”
  • 20 lb. boxes of “Imperial Meat VEAL PATTY”
  • 20 lb. boxes of “El Rancho VEAL PATTY”

Each box bears the establishment number “EST. 17967” inside the USDA mark of
inspection on a label. The products were produced between January 22, 2009, and
January 4, 2010, and were shipped to distribution centers, restaurants, and
hotels within the State of California.

FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms
notify their customers (including restaurants) of the recall and that steps are
taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers.

FSIS advises all consumers to safely prepare their raw meat products, including
fresh and frozen, and only consume ground beef or ground beef patties that have
been cooked to a temperature of 160 F. The only way to be sure ground beef is
cooked to a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria is to use a food
thermometer to measure the internal temperature.

Media and consumer questions regarding the recall should be directed to the
company Owner Robert Glenn at (323) 726-9714 (323) 726-9714 .

Source:

USDA FSIS