CANS - SD Department of Education

Update:

The Westland Beef in South Dakota has all been destroyed or picked up and buried in a landfill. Schools will be reimbursed for costs of destruction if those are reported to Child and Adult Nutrition Services.

Updated: 2/26/2008 -- Media Advisory

The first pick-up of ground beef involved in the Hallmark/Westland Meat Company recall will occur in Sioux Falls tomorrow (Wednesday, Feb. 27). The South Dakota Department of Education's Child and Adult Nutrition Services has arranged for a Sioux Falls-based transportation company to pick up recalled beef in the Sioux Falls area, beginning at 8:30 a.m. at the Sioux Falls School District's Central Services. The truck will then move to other school food authorities in the city. When all of the recalled beef has been collected, it will be taken to the Sioux Falls Landfill where it will be properly buried.

The next scheduled pick-up of recalled beef will come the week of March 17th, when the transportation company will begin collecting beef from school food authorities in the Black Hills area and working their way eastward across the state. The balance of any remaining recalled beef will be picked up the week of March 24th. All of the recalled beef will be taken to the Sioux Falls Landfill for proper burial.

Updated: 2/22/2008

On Feb. 21, the Department of Education's Child and Adult Nutrition Services sent school districts specific instructions on disposal of recalled beef. In summary, the process will go as follows

School food authorities with less than one case of beef (40 pounds) are asked to destroy it on site by March 28 or contact Child and Adult Nutrition Services. (See specific instructions for destruction.)
School food authorities with product that had been cooked and then held upon notification of the recall are asked to destroy it on site by March 28. (See specific instructions for destruction.)
The state will pick up product in quantities of one or more cases. School food authorities with less than one case may notify CANS if they would like to have the product picked up.
School food authorities will be notified of the schedule for pick-up.
The state will be responsible for destruction of the meat that is picked up.

Complete instructions for disposition of recalled ground beef

Destruction verification form | PDF

Updated: 2/19/2008 - MEDIA ADVISORY

Updated: 2/18/2008

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that ground beef from the Hallmark/Westland Meat Company is now recalled. This is the same beef that was previously on hold from that company. South Dakota schools should continue to hold all beef from this company until further instructions are issued by Child and Adult Nutrition Services as to destruction of the product.

To date, 121 school districts and National School Lunch sites in South Dakota have reported possession of the product.
These entities have reported having approximately 650 cases of beef (40 pounds per case).

Click here for the most recent information from USDA regarding this recall.

1/31/2008

USDA received news of serious allegations concerning the treatment of cattle at Westland Meat Company, a slaughter facility. The Ag Market Service (AMS) immediately suspended Westland Meat as a supplier to USDA on January 30 and placed an administrative hold on all products in or destined for Federal food and nutrition programs.

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