In the crystal ball: a future headline about the meat recall

Jack from Fork & Bottle, a regular correspondent here, is not impressed with the recent meat recall. He points out a link at the daily green, reporting that Consumers Union has had difficulty finding out from USDA where the recalled meat was sold.

Jack writes:

So, how is that not a symbolic recall? And again, what is actually being recalled from 4-24 months ago? Out-of-your-stomach?

If consumers are unlikely to ever learn if meat they purchased (or ate a restaurant) is part of this recall, how can you even call it a recall?

So,

1) It can't be 147 million pounds or anything like it, as more than 4/5 of it has been consumed already (if not more).

2) For any other product recall, consumers are told what products they were (and if not obvious, where they were sold). So, doesn't this fall more into the category of a Fantasy Warning?

3) Is it ridiculous of me to await corrections, like, "Huge Beef Recall is Secretive and Much Smaller than USDA stated."? And how consumers are continuing to eat this meat, despite the "recall"?