Why a recall of tainted beef didn't include school lunches
The recall, announced by the governmentAug. 6, covered only ground beef sent to certain retailers. In the days after it was announced, government and company spokesmen said meat sent to schools was not included. Documents obtained by USA TODAY through the Freedom of Information Act reveal a more complicated story - one that raises questions about whether the government took adequate steps to ensure that meat it bought for schoolchildren during the same period was safe. Ref. Source 5
Fast-food standards for meat top those for school lunches
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the meat it buys for the National School Lunch Program "meets or exceeds standards in commercial products. That isn't always the case. McDonald's, Burger King and Costco, for instance, are far more rigorous in checking for bacteria and dangerous pathogens. They test the ground beef they buy five to 10 times more often than the USDA tests beef made for schools during a typical production day. Ref. Source 8