Downer and out? The USDA's new ban won't keep sick cows out of the food supply

[marmar]

from Grist Magazine's Gristmill Blog:



Downer and out?
The USDA's new ban won't keep sick cows out of the food supply
Posted by Tom Philpott at 9:32 AM on 23 May 2008



Months after the downer-cow scandal of last winter, USDA chief Ed Schafer announced plans to ban all downer cows from the food supply.

The rule involves cows that get sick after an initial inspection by veterinarians before slaughter. Under old rules, such cows could be reinspected by vets and then cleared for slaughter if the vet decided they posed no threat.

In the press release announcing the proposed new rules, Shafer had this to say:

Last year, of the nearly 34 million cattle that were slaughtered, under 1,000 cattle that were re-inspected were actually approved by the veterinarian for slaughter. This represents less than 0.003 percent of cattle slaughtered annually. As you can see, this number is minimal.

If I'm understanding him correctly, the secretary is saying the problem was always pretty small and thus never much of a big deal -- and will, at any rate, be solved by this new rule.

I think he's being cheeky; I think pressure on packers to force sick cows through the slaughter line and into the food supply will remain strong.

First of all, the "under 1,000" number reflects cases where the beefpacker followed proper procedure: identified downers, had them inspected and approved by vets, and ushered them into the food supply.

But at Westland/Hallmark, the California beefpacker that sparked the downer controversy in the first place, procedure broke down. To avoid having sick cows deemed "downers" and thus in need of re-inspection, workers tried to make them walk -- by subjecting them to all manner of torture.

How many downer cows made it down the kill line that way in 2007? Well, Shafer has no comment on that. There's no way of knowing -- but we do know that downergate revealed all manner of gaps in the meat-safety system. ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/5/22/133653/893

[mtf80123]

1. Thank G*d I gave up supporting that filthy industry

YEARS ago.

[LeftyMom]

2. Inspections are between cursory and non-existant, and downers are slaughtered routinely.

Everybody should read this book: http://www.amazon.com/Slaughterhouse-Shocking-Inhumane-Treatment-Industry/dp/1591024501/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-1754164-4497650?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211582170&sr=8-1

[sam sarrha]

3. they use electric prods to force em up an as far as they can get them then do it again till they're

in.. i saw them do it years ago, i am sure they sill do it now