| Been Down So Long: USDA Finally Bans Downers |
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| Written by Kiki Hubbard | |
| Tuesday, 20 May 2008 | |
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Perhaps you're confused. But notice I say completely ban, because USDA instituted a policy against slaughtering downer cattle in 2004. While this policy was heralded as a success for food safety advocates in the aftermath of the first identified case of BSE in the U.S., USDA slipped a lobbyist-influenced exception into its guidance document that essentially formed a loophole. This exception was codified in the final rule on July 13, 2007, about six months before the Humane Society released its gruesome video of inhumane downer cow treatment that eventually led to the largest beef recall in U.S. history. But what's disappointing is that, like the meat lobbyists who originally lobbied for the exception but now support the total ban, Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer asserts the new rule is about boosting consumer confidence and is not a response to a food safety issue (what the clear distinction is between the two is beyond me). He explains that "of the 34 million cows slaughtered for food in 2007, fewer than 1,000 were animals that could not stand but were admitted to the slaughterhouse after a second inspection by a veterinarian." Is that supposed to make us feel better? Shafer explains, "This is not a food safety issue. It never has been...We are trying to eliminate any confusion here." Eliminate confusion? How about consumer confusion as to why these cattle weren't eliminated entirely to begin with, why our government didn't establish safety precautions (yes, it's a safety issue!) sooner? Now that's a downer. Source: The Washington Post |
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