District holding 100 lbs. of beef

Investigators have found no evidence so far to suggest any tainted beef from Hallmark/Westland Meat Company has made it into the food supply, U.S. Agriculture Department officials said Friday.

The USDA’s administrative barring of the beef has been extended for 10 days, and Westland’s operations have been suspended indefinitely, according to USDA officials.

“We want to make sure every rock we can look under has been looked under,” said Kenneth Peterson, assistant administrator in the office of field operations for the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Services.

Westland Meat Company and Hallmark Slaughterhouse are under a USDA investigation after a video was released by the Humane Society of the United States showing allegedly inhumane practices at Hallmark, which included using electric prods, forklifts and other methods to move “downed” cattle for slaughter.

Beef from downed cattle are particular dangerous due to increased risk of disease such as E. coli and Salmonella.

The Newport-Mesa School District will continue to strip its menus of beef until officials feel completely safe.

A revamped February menu contained no beef after the initial hold on Westland beef and district nutrition services have developed a March menu without beef.

“We are waiting to see how things unfold,” said Richard Green, the district’s director of nutrition services. “Some may criticize us for being overcautious, but our primary goal is to safeguard our kids; make sure food for kids is safe.”

Newport-Mesa has about 100 pounds of beef under lock and key, according to Green.

Another estimated 10,000 pounds is on hold at the school’s processors.

According to Green, the USDA hasn’t advised the district on what the next step is.

“Once they make a determination, they will advise us,” Green said.

Food Safety Inspection Service and the Office of the Inspector General are conducting investigations into Westland/Hallmark.

Peterson said the Food Safety and Inspection Service is waiting on Westland to respond to the suspension before further action is taken on the agency’s part, and the hold on beef will remain until the investigation is complete and sufficient facts are obtained.

The inspector general’s investigation will not be affected by the suspension, according to Peterson.

Officials said they could not elaborate on other details of the investigation.

Westland Meat Company was the subject of an audit by the USDA in 2005 and was placed on notice partly due to being “overly aggressive on use of electric cattle prods,” according to USDA officials. At the time, the USDA characterized the findings as non-egregious.

In the two years after the initial audit, the USDA found the company to be within standards, and a follow-up audit in May of 2007 stated the findings to be “unremarkable” and that earlier problems were corrected.

“I don’t believe this is evidence of something that is pervasive,” Peterson said in reference to concerns that inhumane practices may be occurring at other slaughterhouses. “I think it is a localized problem.”

DANIEL TEDFORD may be reached at (714) 966-4632 or at daniel.tedford@latimes.com.