Veal Plant Closed After USDA Views Video

Time for FSIS management to circle the wagons (4.00 / 4)

Given the frequency of retaliation against employees who actually try to do the right thing, Vilsack's request could pose a major threat to the status quo - except that inspectors general have whitewashed problems before.

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by: Deep Harm @ Sat Oct 31, 2009 at 01:13:18 AM UTC

But you forget... (4.00 / 3)

"IT TASTES GOOD!" Well, at least that's what I always hear from my carnivore friends. I guess they may have a point about leather use being just as bad, but it just kills me to see these little calves being abused like this before being led to slaughter so prematurely.

All it does is make me more determined to even avoid as much leather as humanly possible...

Act on Principles and make equality happen.

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by: atdleft @ Sat Oct 31, 2009 at 04:38:12 AM UTC

NOFA- (4.00 / 2)

certified,no less..

another smear on the hard-pressed organic field.  

www.wiserearth.org   go, join, act

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by: radicalmom @ Sat Oct 31, 2009 at 14:21:06 PM UTC

Where did you find that? (4.00 / 1)

I'm not finding it. Was it on the NOFA-VT website? If so, I think it has been removed now.

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by: count @ Sat Oct 31, 2009 at 15:50:11 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

FSIS (4.00 / 2)

Far as I can tell, PBO has not yet nominated an Undersecretary of Food Safety. Is that true?

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by: count @ Sat Oct 31, 2009 at 14:55:20 PM UTC

Correct... (4.00 / 2)

Jill included this in a Sampler Platter the other day, in fact -

WASHINGTON - The real consequence of the continuing vacancy in the Undersecretary for Food Safety's post at USDA is that there is no one "with the gravitas of a Senate appointment" to unite the industry, consumer organizations and regulatory agencies into an effort to pursue a plan to improve the safety of the meat and food supply.

So says Bill Marler, the influential E. coli victims' attorney, based in Seattle, Wash., who has made a career from successfully suing meat companies in the wake of outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7 poisoning traced to adulterated meat. "We are missing the person who can see the big picture," he told MEATPOULTRY.com.

[...]

The attorney doesn't buy excuses that the Administration hasn't been able to find viable candidates for the USDA food-safety job who can meet the Administration's no-previous-lobbying standard. "Frankly, that's BS," he said. "There are a lot of people - and I'll include myself here - who have a broad interest in and knowledge of food safety. My God, there are 300 million people in this country. Surely we can find one person who can do this job effectively."

I'll do it.  :)

Coming soon to a Philadelphia near you!

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by: JayinPortland @ Sat Oct 31, 2009 at 18:24:35 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Gack. (4.00 / 1)

I try to keep up, but it wears a guy out.

I have no adequate words for the hypocricy of this,

meet the Administration's no-previous-lobbying standard.

but I love this:

There are a lot of people - and I'll include myself here

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by: count @ Sat Oct 31, 2009 at 19:16:09 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Traveling Food Safety Guy... (4.00 / 1)

We'll be a tag team - Bill Marler can stay in Washington and focus on the policy stuff (he actually was seriously considered for the position a few months back, I wonder what happened?), and I'll travel the country for the next 3 or 7 years and kick ass where it needs to be kicked.  Heh...

Coming soon to a Philadelphia near you!

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by: JayinPortland @ Sat Oct 31, 2009 at 19:35:37 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Well, (4.00 / 1)

the big problem with inspections is that there aren't enough inspectors to go around. So, if we want to remidy the situation we have two options - close plants or increase the number of inspectors. FSIS has been screaming for more inspectors for years.

If you want to help, your best bet would be to apply for a job with FSIS. One of the problems with this, is that I think the inspectors have to be veterinarians. Not many want to work the kill floor or inspect animals that are about to die.

I actually looked into a job with FSIS as an inspector once. That's how I found out you have to be a vet. I've talked to the FSIS inspector for my area. That woman works some serious long hours.

Regarding locavores as elitists - explain to me how supporting local business is elitist....

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by: Joanne Rigutto @ Sat Oct 31, 2009 at 20:14:14 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

state permits (4.00 / 1)

Interesting that is a case where the slaughterhouse is licensed by both state and fed governments, but the state thinks it has nothing to do with the problem because USDA takes care of it. I found this contradictory statement with regard to the establishment of a new slaughterhouse in Woodstock:

Slaughterhouse plan on track

By BOB HOOKWAY VALLEY NEWS WRITER - Published: September 25, 2009

Mike Mitchell, who works in meat safety and enforcement for the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets, said Abballe began his permit process this summer and said all nine of the state's present slaughterhouses for red meat are subject to the agency's close daily oversight, including sanitation, labeling and handling of the meat.

What's going on up there?

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by: count @ Sat Oct 31, 2009 at 15:16:25 PM UTC

from Vermont Beef Producers Association (4.00 / 1)

According to this list, there are seven federally licensed slaughterhouses in Vermont, of which Bushway's was one. I don't know if the list is up to date. Are there two slaughterhouses that are only state inspected? Is Mitchell wrong? Does Mitchell know anything at all about anything?

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by: count @ Sat Oct 31, 2009 at 15:32:14 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Well, (4.00 / 2)

if it's federally inspected it may be a case of the state accepting the fed's inspection rather than having two inspectors present at the same time. Perhaps Vermont is like Oregon. We have no state inspection in Oregon, only Federal, yet we still have an office in ODA that deals with food safety and meat regulations.

Regarding locavores as elitists - explain to me how supporting local business is elitist....

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by: Joanne Rigutto @ Sat Oct 31, 2009 at 16:00:02 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

You're right. (4.00 / 1)

I understand that, but my point was that, if that's the case, VAAFM shouldn't be lying to Vermonters for the sake of ramming through a new slaughterhouse.

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by: count @ Sat Oct 31, 2009 at 16:04:34 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I don't think it's a case of ramming through a slaughterhouse (4.00 / 2)

it's a case of the zoning rules being altered such that ag uses are exempt from restriction. I would consider a slaughterhouse to be a valid agricultural use of land.

I actually had this conversation during that Urban and Rural Reserves process in Clackamas county. I suppose that you could say that it's manufacturing, but if the slaughterhouse is also feeding out the animals, then is it ag or manufacturing?

You can't have it both ways. If you want to encourage agriculture, and protect lands that are being used for ag, then a person really shouldn't complain when the other part of ag - slaughterhouses, produce packers, etc. - show up too.

In addition to all of that, I wouldn't be surprised if the zoning exemptions for ag uses weren't passed either by or at the behest of Vermonters themselves.

Like I say, you can't have it both ways.  

Regarding locavores as elitists - explain to me how supporting local business is elitist....

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by: Joanne Rigutto @ Sat Oct 31, 2009 at 17:15:15 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Did you read the article? (4.00 / 1)

The guy's previous operation at that same location was a water buffalo farm with a manufacturing dairy. With regard to technical arguments of zoning, manufacturing vs. ag, and land protection, the differences between the previous operation and the proposed operation, if any, are so minor as to be irrelevant. The state probably could make a good case that they have no choice but to approve the application if the facility meets requirements. Woodstock residents might have a concern about state control vs. local control, but the depth of that concern cannot be ascertained just from that one article, and if that is their concern, they probably lose.

My one, single, sole, only point is that, on a previous occasion unrelated to the Bushway's incident, a spokesman for the state agency tried to assuage citizen concerns by assuring residents that his agency is on top of things, but the Bushway's scandal proves they are not.

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by: count @ Sat Oct 31, 2009 at 17:49:42 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Yes I did read the article (4.00 / 1)

I'm assuming the one you linked to about the new slaughterhouse. The big issues in that article centered around zoning, not animal abuse.

I know that these agencies say that there are inspectors on site at all times, but I'll let you in on a little secret. At least here in Oregon I can tell you that this is not the truth. At least not as far as I've been told by a slaughterhouse owner. You can read more about the staffing problem in this article from the Chicago Tribune in relation to the Topps meat recall in 2007 - Topps meat recall raises questions about inspections

My rule of thumb is that when ever a government official tells you that they're on top of a situation or they have it under control, or anything else to that effect, assume that they either a) are lying through their teeth or b) that person doesn't know what they're talking about.

The one thing to always keep in mind is that the state is almost never on top of things. Not really.

Regarding locavores as elitists - explain to me how supporting local business is elitist....

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by: Joanne Rigutto @ Sat Oct 31, 2009 at 18:43:56 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

From Bloomberg (4.00 / 2)

USDA Probing Animal-Abuse Allegations at Beef Plant (Update1)

By Alan Bjerga
Oct. 30 (Bloomberg)

Humane Society Chief Operating Officer Michael Markarian said the video was taken over a seven-week period in August and September. It shows animals as young as one-day old being kicked, slapped and repeatedly shocked with electric prods before being processed into veal, he said.

In one case, a calf appears to be skinned alive, while another was shocked more than 30 times, Markarian said.

State and federal authorities were informed of the alleged violations earlier this week, he said. More information and video will be released on Nov. 2, he said.

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by: count @ Sat Oct 31, 2009 at 15:51:12 PM UTC

From HSUS (4.00 / 2)

HSUS Video: Abused Calves at Vermont Slaughter Plant

October 30, 2009

 

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by: count @ Sat Oct 31, 2009 at 15:52:15 PM UTC