Schools, Jack-in-the-box chains ban beef

Several schools and burger chains across the nation ban beef after a recent video showed workers brutalizing cows from a Chino slaughterhouse.

By: Steven Chu
Feb 2, 2008, 10:11 PM EST

Jack In The Box hamburger chains along with 150 school districts have banned meat from a Chino slaughterhouse after a shocking video surfaced showing workers brutalizing sick and crippled cows.

The entire New York City public school system pulled all hamburgers from its menus. New York City has the largest school district in the nation with 1.1 million students.

School districts in at least 11 states have stopped using ground beef from Hallmark Meat Packing Company and its associated Westland Meat Company until a federal investigation is complete.

Inspectors were at the packing plant on Friday, USDA spokeswoman Angela Harless said.

No illnesses linked to the beef have been reported.

Jack in the Box, which has restaurants in 18 states, told its meat suppliers not to use Hallmark until further notice, spokeswoman Kathleen Anthony said.

In-N-Out, an Irvine-based chain, also halted use of the beef, saying it would never condone the inhumane treatment of animals.

Hallmark did not immediately return a call seeking comment Friday. Westland President Steve Mendell said earlier in the week that the company was "shocked, saddened and sickened" by the video, had fired two workers shown in it and suspended their supervisor.

Westland sold more than 27 million pounds of beef last year for use in school lunch and other federal nutrition programs.

McDonald's Corp., the world's largest fast-food chain, said it does not do business with the slaughterhouse. Burger King, based in Miami, said it does not buy beef from the packing house and has "no connection to the supplier."

The videotape released Wednesday by The Humane Society of the United States showed slaughterhouse employees kicking, shocking, dragging and otherwise abusing "downer" cows -- those believed too sick or injured to walk.

USDA regulations already prohibit use of disabled cows for human food because they may pose a higher risk of illnesses such as mad cow disease.