News

Friday, February 1, 2008

Alert from the California Department of Education re Westland Meat Company

The Santa Barbara School Districts have been evaluating sources of protein and initiating the process of shifting to more chicken, turkey, fish, rice and beans. The shift is timely, given yesterday’s advisory from the California Department of Education regarding the elimination of beef products from Westland Meat Company (see below).

In response to the advisory, the Santa Barbara School Districts’ Office of Nutrition Services immediately notified each of our school cafeteria kitchen managers, identified and pulled products listed in the CDE alert that were in the districts’ warehouse and throughout the districts’ cafeteria kitchens, and sterilized all equipment used in the production of any beef on school menus. Until this matter is resolved and our districts receive further direction from the California Department of Education, beef will NOT be served in our school cafeterias. We will utilize other protein sources available to us through various suppliers and continue to move forward in presenting a healthy school lunch for all of our students.

When the California Department of Education indicates that beef can be returned to school menus, it will be used on a more limited basis. When feasible, it will be purchased from vendors who supply hormone-free beef.

“Since there have been no documented case of food-borne illness/contaminates associated with this recall, we feel our children are safe. We are simply being proactive,” said Interim Director of Nutrition Services Nancy Weiss.

California Department of Education Alert
The United States Department of Agriculture (UDSA) has placed an administrative hold on all Westland Meat Company products produced between January 1, 2007 and January 30, 2008. The California Department of Education advises agencies not to use beef products from Westland until further notice. In addition, we recommend that agencies not use any processed end-products containing beef pending further instructions.

The commodity ground beef involved with this hold are:

Fine Ground Beef 40 (USDA Code A608) sent to agencies via:

Private and State Distribution Centers

MCI Foods

Rose and Shore Meat, Inc.

Beef Bulk Coarse (USDA Code A594) sent to the following commodity processors:

Don Lee Farms

Pierre Foods

JTM Provisions, Inc.

Integrated

Advance Food Company

While the Food Distribution Program is working with these processors to identify end-products made with Westland meat, we cannot be certain at this time what processed end-products you may have received that contain Westland meat. We are advising your agency not to serve any processed end-products containing commodity beef unless and until we know that the beef was not from Westland.

Westland Meat Company has been suspended indefinitely as a supplier to Federal food and nutrition programs. The suspension will remain in effect until all investigations are complete and appropriate action is taken by the USDA. Under the suspension, no further contracts will be awarded to Westland Meat Company. Additionally, Westland Meat Company will not produce or deliver any products currently under contract.