# How is recalled food disposed of? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 7, 2007, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-recalled-food-disposed-of/421852 "2007-10-07T15:31:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fozzie\_Bear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Fozzie\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fozzie_Bear)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2007, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-recalled-food-disposed-of/421852/1 "2007-10-07T15:31:06Z")
After the latest E. coli outbreak, the Topps Meat Company is out of business and there’s been a “voluntary recall” of 21.7 million pounds of ground beef. [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21163787/site/newsweek/page/0/](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21163787/site/newsweek/page/0/) I admit I’m kind of skeeved that the recall includes frozen meat that passed through the Topps plant as much as a year ago (didn’t the older stuff get freezer burn by now??). But my main question is - how do Wal-Mart, etc. get rid of recalled meat, to make sure that no one tries to take some of it (for pet food, out of hunger/willingness to take a risk, etc.)? Where does it go, if the distributor is out of business and can’t take it back? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2007, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-recalled-food-disposed-of/421852/2 "2007-10-07T15:41:39Z")
They send it to Joe Arpaio. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2007, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-recalled-food-disposed-of/421852/3 "2007-10-07T16:05:12Z")
Can you at least wait for an attempt at an answer before dispensing with the lame jokes? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2007, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-recalled-food-disposed-of/421852/4 "2007-10-07T16:06:08Z")
No. ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2007, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-recalled-food-disposed-of/421852/5 "2007-10-07T16:30:36Z")
This is not a definite answer, but perhaps they incinerate it. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2007, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-recalled-food-disposed-of/421852/6 "2007-10-07T16:36:49Z")
Apparently, usually the food is buried in a landfill, according to [this](http://agr.georgia.gov/00/article/0,2086,38902732_0_91120964,00.html) press release from the State of Georgia, although in the case mentioned in the article, the food was incinerated because it was contaminated with Clostridium botulinum. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2007, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-recalled-food-disposed-of/421852/7 "2007-10-08T01:49:19Z")
[QUOTE=Fozzie Bear] Where does it go, if the distributor is out of business and can’t take it back? [/QUOTE] [Most of it was already eaten](http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN0435109220071004): > [@](#): > > The recalled ground beef was distributed to retail grocery stores and food service institutions throughout the United States. Based on consumption patterns, Topps Meat Company said in a statement it believes the vast majority of the recalled product has been consumed. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2007, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-recalled-food-disposed-of/421852/8 "2007-10-08T13:05:26Z")
I think you’ll find that recalled food is handled differently depending on the danger it posses. I ran across a recall that happened a while ago, that involved a very deadly contaminant. The USDA went to all stores, checked it was all removed, and disposed of it. [Extremely deadly Easter hams and also a little bit on why baby turtles are not for sale.](http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-3500494.html) ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-recalled-food-disposed-of/421852/9 "2007-10-09T01:20:02Z")
When I was working as a microbiologist, I toured a local frozen food manufacturer and saw how they did the whole system. Food that failed their micro tests was taken to the local landfill and not just left there, but buried amongst the garbage. They documented the whole process on film. The reason was so that it didn’t get “lost” along the way in case someone showed up a few months later and sued the company for poisoning them. ---
**Author:** ![GiantRat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@GiantRat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GiantRat)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-recalled-food-disposed-of/421852/10 "2007-10-09T01:22:21Z")
It gets sent to China to be used in making children’s toys for export to the US.