I too am appalled about this recall.

On the other end of the spectrum however, I continued a Dawn tradition at the Louisville National Farm Machinery Show and took several Dawn employees out for a special annual dinner at Ruth's-Chris steak house in Louisville.  This is a reward for four very busy days on their feet at the show.

The steaks we had at Ruths-Chris were absolutely fabulous.  Tasty, tender and cooked to perfection. Once you taste beef like this you can't help but love it.

I asked one of the managers about the beef and he said they have a packing house in a midwestern city (I won't give away their secrets) that chooses high quality beef for them and cuts to their specs. It is midwestern US corn fed beef. No it is not "cheap" beef. But it is quality beef and shows that good beef exists and just how good it can taste.

Judging by the BBC link report above, the Hallmark plant was "cheap" beef. I have also spoken with people in the US beef business who raise a lot of quality beef. Often, they say this high quality beef is shipped overseas while we get the lower quality.

I think we in agriculture and as consumers need to demand quality beef and not let cheap beef such as Hallmark lower our standards and reputation.

Good US beef is truly a wonderful product, it exists, it is not "cheap" but worth every penny.

jmho.

Jim at Dawn