April 10, 2008

 

USDA cites four beef slaughterhouses for inhumane handling

 

 

The USDA has found that four of the 18 beef slaughterhouses supplying the US school lunch programme violated humane handling practices.

 

This was the result of the federal audit conducted after the closure of Westland/Hallmark Meat in California, a school lunch supplier cited for violating federal rules on humane handling.

 

One of the plants  was suspended due to failing to effectively stun cattle on the first attempt before slaughter, a common humane-handling violation.

 

According to the USDA, the humane-handling programmes of the other plants were acceptable, but three were cited: one due to overcrowding, another for excessive use of stunning prods and another for allowing excessive hesitation by cattle as they approached the stun box.

 

Westland/Hallmark was shutdown after videos of its humane-handling violations was released by the Humane Society.

 

The company recalled 143 million pounds of beef in February.