Unsanitary Slaughter of Steer Blamed in Food Poisoning That Killed Child, Made 130 Ill

The unsanitary slaughter of a steer on a ranch near Corcoran led to a food poisoning outbreak that killed one child and made about 130 people sick, state and county health officials said.

The steer’s intestines came in contact with the rest of the meat, probably causing salmonella, said Namara Garababa, a veterinarian with the state Department of Food and Agriculture. Health officials also have been told that the steer was butchered on the ground.

The ranch’s owners, Deo and Lillian Mata, have been cited because the ranch was not licensed to sell or slaughter livestock. The misdemeanors carry sentences of up to six months in jail or fines of up to $10,000.

All of those who fell ill had eaten meat at a Hmong family celebration attended by more than 200 relatives and friends last weekend. The back-yard gathering was held to celebrate a Hmong teen-ager’s release from Valley Children’s Hospital in Fresno.

As part of the celebration, the family served a raw meat dish called larb, which means “lucky food.” The Hmong are a tribe from the mountains of Laos who have moved by the tens of thousands to the San Joaquin Valley since 1980.

About 35 family members and friends attended the funeral Thursday of 2-year-old Gregory Saelee of Oakland, who died of food poisoning Tuesday in Visalia.