WASHINGTON -- The Agriculture Department suspended with pay yesterday an inspector and a supervisor who monitored the Westland/Hallmark Meat Co. plant responsible for 143 million pounds of beef being recalled, a union official said.
Stan Painter, chairman of the National Joint Council of Food Inspection Locals, said the department told him it "had obtained information warranting placing" the two employees on administrative leave.
The suspensions are the USDA's latest response to rules violations at the Chino, Calif., plant that led to the largest beef recall in U.S. history on Feb. 17.
On Thursday, Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer told senators the agency was increasing random checks and is considering installing video cameras in holding pens for added surveillance.
The USDA has been investigating the scare, which was prompted by a video secretly recorded by the Humane Society of the United States showing plant workers using electric prods and forklifts to move cows that had fallen down before slaughter.
"We cannot comment on the ongoing investigation. We also cannot comment on personnel actions," said Laura S. Reiser, a department spokeswoman.
The department has said it ordered the beef recall because the plant should have notified inspectors about the downed cows under rules designed to prevent meat from animals with mad cow disease from entering the food supply.
Food experts have blamed USDA inspectors for missing the mistreatment captured in the video, while union officials say vacancies have swamped inspectors with too many responsibilities.
jonathan.rockoff@ baltsun.com
