Anyone who wonders how Jack in the Box can offer two ground beef tacos for under a dollar only needs to watch the raw footage of cattle being pushed across a cold floor by a forklift to understand how the savings are passed on to them.

This week the United States Department of Agriculture recalled a staggering 143 million pounds of beef because a slaughterhouse worker at Westland/Hallmark videotaped cattle being mistreated and released it to the Humane Society of the United States. What is even better about the recall is that the majority of the beef has “most likely” been consumed, according to the USDA. Officials added that the health risk was minimal and that they believe the food supply is safe. So why worry about recalling food that has already been consumed and poses no threat to the public?

The reason for the controversy is that the company broke USDA protocol when it executed cattle that could not stand. The law requires that all such cattle are required to be reexamined before execution. Westland/Hallmark decided to circumvent that whole process and just soak, shock and drag the cattle to their slaughter. Two workers at Westland were charged with animal cruelty, and they earned it.

Westland/Hallmark is based in Chino. It supplies beef to fast food chains such as In-N-Out and Jack in the Box, as well as numerous schools throughout the nation. According to the Humane Society of the United States, Westland/Hallmark is a major supplier to the National School Lunch Program. The company provided the beef to schools in 36 states last year. The recall includes 37 million pounds of beef that was shipped to public schools.

The activities that occurred at Westland/Hallmark most likely happen on a daily basis in this country. I envision workers sliding the cattle across the wet floor in a spirited game of “cow curling.” Anyone who has taken the time to read “Fast Food Nation” or “The Jungle” knows just how putrid and despicable the conditions in factory farms and slaughterhouses can be.

Ignorance is bliss, especially when it comes to mass-produced food. As long as you eat all of your double double, the cow didn’t die in vain.

Jordan Guinn can be reached at [email protected]