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DALLAS (AP) -- The U.S. Agriculture Department has recalled more than 940,000 pounds of cattle heads shipped from a Dallas company after it was discovered the tonsils had not been completely removed, the agency said in a release.
The Class II recall, which involves 38,000 heads shipped in the past 18 months, represents a low risk to human health, the release states.
Tonsils are considered a specified risk material and are required to be removed from cattle of all ages, according to regulations of the department's Food Safety Inspection Service.
The agency announced the recall Thursday.
The materials are tissues known to be able to contain prions of cattle infected with mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy, as well as materials closely associated with these potentially infective tissues.
The inspection service prohibits risky materials from use as human food to minimize potential human exposure to mad cow disease.
Alan Rubin, president Dallas City Packing, Inc., a small family-owned business, said food safety is the company's primary concern and that recall represents a "remote possibility" of risk.
"However, we are taking it seriously," he said. "We've never had an incident like this."
The company is recalling all products -- a total of 941,271 pounds -- packed between Feb. 5, 2007, and Aug. 5, 2008.
The products were distributed primarily to retail establishments in Texas as well as to distribution centers in California, Colorado, Louisiana, New Jersey, Oklahoma and Texas.
The recall products include: various weight boxes of "2-BEEF HEAD." Each shipping package bears the establishment number "EST. 156" inside the USDA mark of inspection, as well as a packaging date between "2 05 7" and "8 05 8" stamped on the side of the box.
Also recalled were various weight boxes of "3-BEEF HEAD." Each shipping package bears the establishment number "EST. 156" inside the USDA mark of inspection, as well as a packaging date between "2 05 7" and "8 05 8" stamped on the side of the box.
