Already in 2008 we've seen the largest recall in U.S. history from the Hallmark/Westland meat plant, and this isn't an isolated incident. Whether it was spinach, ground beef, peanut butter, or frozen pot pies, last year was the year of recalls. Throughout all of these recalls consumers had no way of finding out where these recalled products were sold or distributed. Thankfully, we have an opportunity to change that.

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro has introduced a bill which would require the USDA to tell us which stores and schools received recalled meat.  We've got a good chance of getting this passed, but we need to gain as much support for the bill as possible. Can you ask your member of Congress to become a co–sponsor of this important bill?

Until this bill passes, consumers will have to continue to dig in the freezer and scour packaging for tiny numbers on a tiny seal, to know whether the meat they’ve bought is part of a recall. The Food Safety Recall Information Act (H.R. 5762), would require the USDA to list all of the retail stores and school districts that have received recalled meat products, for all recalls.

This legislation also closes some important loop-holes and would force the USDA to give consumers full information on all recalls.  Right now, the USDA is proposing their own rule, which would only give consumers information when they think the recall is important enough. Under these rules, all of the potentially Mad Cow-infected beef involved in the largest recall in U.S. history would not have been covered. It's very important that we pass legislation telling the USDA to release this information, because if it's left up to them, consumers will be left in the dark about where recalled meat was sold.

Take action today to give consumers full information about meat recalls.