LOS ANGELES, Calif. (AP) — The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) sued the federal government over what it said is a legal loophole that allows sick or crippled cattle into the food supply.<br>
A USDA rule change made in July allows some unhealthy cows into the food supply, the HSUS alleges in its lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 27.<br>
USDA Secretary Ed Schafer recently addressed the Hallmark/Westland incident during a speech at the National Meat Assoc. Board meeting in Monterey, Calif. “We have stressed to consumers that there’s no reason to believe that there’s anything wrong with beef that’s being recalled, and the chances of getting sick from it are negligible,” Schafer explained.<br>
“We do remain confident that the U.S. food supply is the safest in the world, and we’re going to continue to share that message with the public. There’s unfortunately no escaping the fact that the consequences of what happened at the moment have already been very dramatic and have impacted a lot more than we expected. We terminated our existing contract with Hallmark/Westland. In addition we’re seeking to recover the federal Food and Nutrition Program costs and costs associated with the recall.<br>
“Those are the immediate consequences to the company and its employees and its owners. But there are broader issues here as well that really are going to have a direct impact on your industry. …I believe there are some lessons here that we can already draw on from our experience. For meatpackers, the message is clear, I think: USDA rules matter and we’re going to enforce them.”<br>
In 2004, the USDA tightened regulations to prohibit the slaughter of all “downer” cows after a case of Mad Cow disease was discovered in Washington state. The lawsuit alleges that under last year’s change, cows that fell down after an initial veterinarian inspection, but appeared otherwise healthy, were allowed to be slaughtered.<br>
The lawsuit asks the USDA to close the loophole to protect consumers and ensure the humane treatment of animals.
The lawsuit, citing USDA documents, states that even cows whose inability to walk stems from broken limbs are about 50 times more likely to have Mad Cow disease.<br>
The illness weakens their muscles, making them prone to falls.
Amanda Eamich, a spokeswoman for the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, said she had not seen the lawsuit and could not immediately comment.<br>
The American Meat Institute, an industry group, said in a statement that the Humane Society’s concerns were “alarmist and unfounded.”<br>
The lawsuit says Westland/Hallmark Meat Co. workers were trying to get the animals to stand, even briefly, so they could be considered acceptable for human consumption.<br>
“Because of the regulatory loophole, the meat industry has an economic incentive to use whatever means are necessary to force downed cattle to stand and walk, even if only for this brief period of time,” the lawsuit alleges.<br>
The USDA recalled 143 million pounds of beef from Westland/Hallmark last month, saying the agency had evidence the slaughterhouse violated health regulations.<br>
No illnesses have been linked to the recalled meat, and authorities have said the health threat is small.