Whole Foods: Recalled Meat 'Not At Risk' For Mad Cow
BOSTON (CBS) - One day after a supplier for Whole Foods Markets issued a recall on 4,000 pounds of beef over fears that they could be contaminated with Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), which is commonly referred to as Mad Cow Disease, the supermarket chain says the meat in question is safe.
For cattle 30 months of age and older, the U.S.D.A. requires a particular part of the nervous system to be removed because it that may contain BSE in infected cattle.
In this case, Missouri-based Fruitland American Meat reported that may not have happened. They were unable to provide immediate documentation of the ages of the cattle in question, and issued a voluntary recall in response.
Whole Foods issued a statement on Friday saying that it was able to verify the ages of the cattle.
"We now have official documentation confirming that the cattle in question destined for our stores were in fact NOT AT RISK FOR BSE as they were all UNDER 30 months of age," the statement said. "It is unfortunate the processor could not confirm accurate information at the time, but we fully support the issuance of the USDA Class II voluntary recall to quickly address the issue out of an abundance of caution."
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