USDA Meat Inspectors Told Not to Check for Downer Cows

Meat Inspectors Told Not to Check for Downed Cows 

Letter Urges Investigation of USDA Mismanagement  

A consumer group and the union for federal meat inspectors urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture to investigate the possibility that USDA meat inspectors were instructed not to enter the part of a meat plant where repeated violations of rules prohibiting the use of "downer" cows in the human food supply took place.  

A letter from Food & Water Watch and the National Joint Council of Food Inspection Locals urged Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer to do a thorough investigation of what went wrong at the Hallmark/Westland meat plant in Chino, California. The Humane Society of the United States recently released video showing employees of the plant forcing downed cows to their feet or pushing them into the plant, in violation of federal rules that prohibit the use of such animals for human food.  

The groups urged the Secretary to investigate all aspects of USDA's inspection program at the plant, ranging from the instructions given to inspectors in the plant to the impact of persistent inspector shortages. "This was a management failure," said Paul Carney, president of the Western Council of Food Inspection Locals. "The inspectors' supervisor was specific about not allowing the inspectors to perform humane handling checks."

"The USDA needs to get to the bottom of what happened at this meat plant to make sure that downer cows don't make it into the food supply," said Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch. "USDA must address inspector shortages and mismanagement before consumers can be assured that this won't happen again."

Downer cows are prohibited from use in human food because of their elevated risk for mad cow disease. The plant, which is the second largest vendor of ground beef to the National School Lunch Program, suspended operation after USDA removed its inspectors on February 4.  

The letter also urged the Secretary to ensure that inspectors were not retaliated against for reporting problems. "This agency has traditionally gone after the whistleblower rather than the problem," said Stan Painter, president of the National Joint Council of Food Inspection Locals.

The letter can be accessed at: http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/food/foodsafety/meat-inspection-1/letter-to-secretary-of-agriculture-ed-schafer

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