This Record-Breaking 2008 Recall Of 143 Million Pounds Of Ground Beef Led To Criminal Charges

Food and drink recalls aren't exactly uncommon, and they can involve millions of products. They occur for a variety of reasons, ranging from less serious Class II recalls, such as the massive Coca-Cola recall that affected 3.2 million cans, to Class I recalls, which involve a serious public health risk. While the largest meat recall in history was classified as a Class II, it uncovered a deeply disturbing case of inhumane treatment of cattle that led to two employees being charged with animal cruelty offenses.

In 2008, the Humane Society released undercover video depicting a slaughterhouse worker abusing "downer" cows (sick, immobile cattle), including using a forklift to forcibly move them to slaughter. The blatant animal abuse was shocking and was in clear violation of federal regulations that ban "downer" cows from being used in the human food supply, a rule put in place to mitigate the risk of bovine-to-human spread of pathogens. The USDA issued a Class II recall, which "involves a health hazard situation where there is a remote probability of adverse health consequences from use of the product." In this case, the recall was issued because the USDA determined it could no longer certify that a large portion of the company's meat had been produced under required inspection conditions.

The recall that ensued was on a scale that had never been seen in U.S. history. Stretching back to 2006, the total amount of beef recalled reached approximately 143 million pounds. Shockingly, around 37 million pounds of that recalled beef had been designated for the National School Lunch Program.

While no ground beef recall, or any meat recall, has ever surpassed the scale of the 2008 scandal as of January 2026, no cases of illness were linked to any of the recalled beef. As a result of the scandal, two employees were sentenced to nine and six months in jail, respectively, for animal cruelty. The company, Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co., also faced significant financial and reputational damage, including a landmark judgment of nearly $500 million brought against the company, as well as a number of individual settlements involving the owners. The landmark judgment was largely symbolic, however, as the company filed for bankruptcy following the scandal.

While the 2008 scandal resulted in no deaths or serious illness, the same can't be said for other meat recalls. In 2002, Pilgrim's Pride, a major food supplier, issued a massive recall of 27.4 million pounds of ready-to-eat deli poultry products due to Listeria contamination. According to the CDC, the listeriosis outbreak spread across eight U.S. states and led to 46 reported infections, seven deaths, and three pregnancy losses. Following the recall, Pilgrim's Pride faced several lawsuits, which it settled, and in 2008, after further financial blows, the company filed for bankruptcy.