February 18, 2008
Slaughterhouse video prompts unprecedented beef recall
An undercover of sick and crippled cows being brought to slaughter in an abattoir in southern California has prompted the largest recall of beef in US history, reports The Times Online.
"The US Department of Agriculture yesterday ordered that 143 million lb of beef from the slaughterhouse be recalled. Officials estimate that some 37 million lbs of the recalled meat had been heading to schools across America though they fear that most of it will have already been eaten.
... Because the cattle did not receive complete and proper inspection, Food Safety and Inspection Service has determined them to be unfit for human food and the company is conducting a recall,” Ed Schafer, US Secretary of Agriculture, said in a statement.
The evidence referred to by the authorities was contained in an undercover video shot at the abattoir, showing workers kicking, electric shocking and otherwise maltreating “downer” animals: cows that appear to be too sick or injured to walk. The video was produced by a representative from the Humane Society of the United States, who had been working undercover at the plant.
WARNING: The video contains very graphic images.
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