Rhode Island schools have served beef from a California slaughterhouse that is now subject to the largest recall in the United States, according to Andrea Bagnall Degos, spokeswoman for the state Department of Health.

“Some of the beef was sent to Rhode Island schools as meatballs through the school lunch program,” she said.

And at the moment, there is food from an August shipment that’s on hold, she said.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Sunday ordered the recall of 143 million pounds of beef from Hallmark/Westland Meat Co., which is the subject of an animal-abuse investigation.

The recall affects beef products dating to Feb. 1, 2006, the federal agency said. The company provided meat to various federal programs.

The Health Department is also checking grocery and wholesale inventory. So far, Bagnall Degos said, the Health Department knows that Shaw’s and Whole Foods grocery stores did not receive meat from the company.

It’s important to remember, Bagnall Degos said, that “there’s a low potential for illness.”

The recall was not due to any reported or suspected illness, but because the company’s handling of the animals violated health regulations.

An undercover video showing crippled and sick animals being shoved with forklifts led to the largest recall in the United States. There’s now a scramble to find out if any of the meat is still destined for school children’s lunches.

With reports from the Associated Press

bjeffers@projo.com