D-CT) has requested a briefing with Acting Under Secretary for Food Safety Brian Ronholm about recalled beef potentially contaminated with Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease.The Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced Wednesday that Fruitland American Meat of Jackson, MO, had issued a recall of approximately 4,012 pounds of fresh beef products because the dorsal root ganglia may not have been completely removed, which is not compliant with agency regulations that require their removal in cattle 30 months of age and older.
Although the agency said that none of the animals displayed signs of BSE before slaughter, the dorsal root ganglia is one set of tissues that may contain the infective agent.
The potentially tainted meat went to a Whole Foods distribution center in Connecticut and to two restaurants in New York City and Kansas City, DeLauro wrote in her letter to Ronholm.
The recalled product was produced between Sept. 5, 2013, and April 24, 2014.
In her letter, DeLauro questioned why it took 10 months for the error to be discovered, citing other recent examples of beef recalls over an extended period of time, such as the Wolverine Packing Co. and the Rancho Feeding Corporation recalls.
“Was this a matter of inadequate staffing levels, poor training, negligence, or some other reason?” DeLauro asked. “I want to learn more.”
