The United States' Biggest Beef Recall Involved A Stomach-Churning Animal Abuse Investigation

Meat recalls are fairly common in the United States as bacteria like Salmonella, Listeria, and E. coli are hard to contain and eliminate from meat products, especially since these microbes are present in the environments where cattle are raised. Among the meat types commonly slapped with recalls, ground beef consistently records the second-most incidents yearly (poultry is the worst offender) possibly because E. coli thrives in the digestive system of cows without manifesting symptoms. Historically, most ground beef recalls that affected millions were due to E. coli threats. However, you may be surprised to know that the biggest beef recall in the United States wasn't actually due to bacterial contamination. Instead, it was warranted by a stomach-churning animal abuse exposé which prompted a large-scale investigation.

In March 2008, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recalled 143 million pounds of beef from a slaughterhouse in Southern California after an undercover video exposed the inhumane conditions in the facility, particularly how sick and crippled cattle were abused before being slaughtered for their meat. The surveillance footage showed workers kicking, shocking, and attacking the animals with forklifts. Although no illnesses were linked to the meat products from the facility, authorities conducted an investigation into the facility after the leaked video sparked public outcry. 

Consumer demand for chicken and beef (which are among the most consumed meats in the world) takes a hit whenever there's a recall. Publicly available information about a recall has been shown to affect purchasing behaviors of consumers as they readily associate the information with health risks. In the case of the biggest beef recall in United States history, the USDA's recall order prompted nearly 150 school districts in the country to stop using ground beef from the Southern California-based facility or any of its affiliates (namely, the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company).

Despite regular recalls, meat consumption in the United States remains high, with the average American consuming more than 270 pounds of meat per year. Around 84 pounds of the yearly total account for beef while 118 pounds account for chicken. Interestingly, it appears Americans have been eating less beef in recent years compared to half a century ago. In the 1970s, per-capita beef consumption was 117 pounds. Since 2008, the figure has dropped to less than 90 pounds. This shift isn't a product of people staying up to date with food recalls, however. It's more about Americans switching to poultry ever since the latter became cheaper than beef.