Recalled beef leads to prosecution for employees

As much as 8.7 million pounds of beef recalled in February at a California slaughterhouse was processed and sold by employees while federal inspectors were on lunch breaks and later sold, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. Now, the owners and a couple employees face charges.

The slaughterhouse, Rancho Feeding House, slaughtered animals that had been deemed unfit for consumption by veterinarians or had not been inspected. They also traded diseased cattle for healthy cattle that had been inspected and approved at other ranches.

The slaughterhouse has since sold and another slaughterhouse has begun operations.

From The Wall Street Journal:

“Prosecutors estimate that Rancho processed and distributed meat from 79 cows that exhibited signs of the disease. Another 101 cows that had been condemned as unfit for human consumption also were processed and distributed, prosecutors allege.”

Via: The Wall Street Journal > California bad beef case: Four indicted

Related story: Nearly 9 million pounds of beef from ‘diseased and unsound animals’ recalled