A major beef recall from a California slaughterhouse is prompting concerns about gaps in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s meat inspection system. The USDA, which announced the recall on February 8, 2014, said Rancho Feeding Corp. had processed “diseased and unsound animals” and that the resulting meat was “unfit for human food.” The plant closed after recalling 8.7 million pounds of beef.
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy, commonly known as “mad cow disease,” can be transmitted to humans by eating food contaminated with the brain, spinal cord or digestive tract of infected carcasses, though the infectious agent can be found in nearly all tissues of the body. This issue is especially relevant to North Carolina citizens given the recent incident at Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in which 18 patients were notified they were potentially exposed to Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD). Mad Cow Disease is known as new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD or nvCJD).
Despite the deadly risks posed by contaminated beef to humans, there are special interests that continue to lobby for less regulation. If you or a loved one has been exposed to Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, it would be prudent to contact an attorney to discuss your options. Attorney Kevin J. Williams, of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has been fighting for the rights of his clients for over 17 years. If you have potentially been exposed to Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, contact the Law Office of Kevin J. Williams, PLLC, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, at (336)793-8459 to schedule a free consultation to discuss your options. You may also use the contact form to send Kevin an e-mail.
