Humane Society sues USDA over torture
Video leads to largest beef recall in American history, creates lawsuit
Andrew Cross, Daily Vidette Staff
Issue date: 3/6/08 Section: News
Information uncovered by investigators at a California slaughterhouse has led to a lawsuit concerning the possible contamination of the country's food supply.
The United States Department of Agriculture has fallen under scrutiny since a video released in January by the Humane Society of the United States led to the single largest beef recall in American history.
The Humane Society is suing the USDA for illegal practices.
Investigators filmed cows being led to the slaughter at the Hallmark Meat Packing plant in California.
One segment of the video shows a forklift forcing a cow forward, only to have it roll over on its back.
The driver of the machine then ran over the cow's leg and rammed into its head.
The controversy deals with the cows perceived to be too sick or injured to stand. These cows, known as downers, were subjected to questionable treatments by the USDA employees.
California law mandates that cattle unable to stand or walk be humanely euthanized or removed from the area, and the USDA prohibits the processing of meat from downer cattle.
"Downer cattle have between a 50 [percent] and 100 percent higher risk of being infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy," Michael Greger, the director of public health and animal agriculture for the Humane Society of America, said. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy is more commonly known as mad cow disease.
"Downer cattle also are at a higher risk of harboring the potentially deadly E. coli O157:H7 strain," Greger said. "They may be at a higher risk of harboring salmonella."
Greger noted that the Humane Society was seeking no monetary compensation, but rather to "force the USDA to change their policy."
The Hallmark Meat Packing plant is a provider of Westland Meat Company, who was honored with the Supplier of the Year award in 2004-05 for the National School Lunch Program.
More than one third of the 143 million pounds of meat recalled had been shipped to federal nutrition programs.
Experts believe much of the meat had already been consumed when the recall was initiated, and no health reports had been filed.
"It shows that they care about the consumers to recall so much meat even though the risk of consuming affected meat is substantially low," Nick Skeels, a freshman computer science major, said.
California prosecutors are charging two former Hallmark Meat Company employees with animal cruelty.
The video shot at the Hallmark Meat Packing plant can be viewed on the Humane Society of America's Web site.
The United States Department of Agriculture has fallen under scrutiny since a video released in January by the Humane Society of the United States led to the single largest beef recall in American history.
The Humane Society is suing the USDA for illegal practices.
Investigators filmed cows being led to the slaughter at the Hallmark Meat Packing plant in California.
One segment of the video shows a forklift forcing a cow forward, only to have it roll over on its back.
The driver of the machine then ran over the cow's leg and rammed into its head.
The controversy deals with the cows perceived to be too sick or injured to stand. These cows, known as downers, were subjected to questionable treatments by the USDA employees.
California law mandates that cattle unable to stand or walk be humanely euthanized or removed from the area, and the USDA prohibits the processing of meat from downer cattle.
"Downer cattle have between a 50 [percent] and 100 percent higher risk of being infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy," Michael Greger, the director of public health and animal agriculture for the Humane Society of America, said. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy is more commonly known as mad cow disease.
"Downer cattle also are at a higher risk of harboring the potentially deadly E. coli O157:H7 strain," Greger said. "They may be at a higher risk of harboring salmonella."
Greger noted that the Humane Society was seeking no monetary compensation, but rather to "force the USDA to change their policy."
The Hallmark Meat Packing plant is a provider of Westland Meat Company, who was honored with the Supplier of the Year award in 2004-05 for the National School Lunch Program.
More than one third of the 143 million pounds of meat recalled had been shipped to federal nutrition programs.
Experts believe much of the meat had already been consumed when the recall was initiated, and no health reports had been filed.
"It shows that they care about the consumers to recall so much meat even though the risk of consuming affected meat is substantially low," Nick Skeels, a freshman computer science major, said.
California prosecutors are charging two former Hallmark Meat Company employees with animal cruelty.
The video shot at the Hallmark Meat Packing plant can be viewed on the Humane Society of America's Web site.
Be the first to comment on this story