USDA Asks Five Texas School Systems to Put a Hold on Meat

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The Houston Chronicle reports that five Texas school systems have been asked to not serve any meat products purchased from Hallmark Meat Packing Co.

The firm is under investigation for animal cruelty and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investigating. To date no children have been reported as being ill.

Three Houston-area districts and Austin and North East school districts have purchased Hallmark meat from the Westland Meat Co. which is a beef supplier for the National School Lunch Program.

"USDA does not believe there is a health concern right now," Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) spokesman Bryan Black said. "This is just an investigation to determine the situation."

Officials from the TDA have contacted school districts this week and advised them to remove meat supplied by either company. If the companies are cleared during the investigation, the schools may receive permission to use their products.

The Humane Society of the United States was conducting an undercover investigation; the Society videotaped workers kicking cows, ramming them with forklift blades, jabbing them in the eyes and shocking them with electricity to force sick or injured animals to walk to slaughter.

The Humane Society has conducted research that showed Texas received 4.7 million pounds of Westland beef products in 2007, ranking it second only to California. In Washington state, which bought the fifth most Westland beef, there are more than 100 school districts affected by the warning.

Parents in Houston were called Thursday by school officials who told tell them about the situation.