Financial troubles likely to permanently close slaughterhouse caught in sick cow abuse video that triggered nation's largest beef recall. Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing, one of 10 companies that supply beef for school lunches, received $39 million from USDA in the last fiscal year as part of the program. Sick, or 'downer' cows may not be eaten because of link to mad cow disease, a fatal illness that takes up to 30 years to appear in humans.