Rather than shutting down Central Valley Meat Co. like it did Westland/Hallmark, the USDA caved to California lawmakers and chose to keep it open so dairy farmers have a place to unload the pathetic, spent animals who have been worked within an inch of their death. Dairy farmers can make as much as $400 off the dying cows, if they can get them to walk. Let's hear it for cheap meat!
But Central Valley Meat Co. has not gotten off scot-free. On a quarterly basis, employees will be trained in humane handling. No more electric prodding animals who can't stand or walk! No more shooting animals in the face repeatedly even though they don't die. No more standing on the animal's mouth until it smothers! Got that, employees?
Not everyone thinks the retraining will work. "One glaring gap in this list is a provision for punishment of workers who violate these rules or humane slaughter laws," writes Piper Hoffman. "Another is the assumption that humane stunning is always possible. Captive bolt guns, which slaughterhouse workers shoot into cows' heads to stun them before slaughter, are notoriously unreliable."
Still, Central Valley Meat has said it is "thankful" for the reprieve and that it looks forward to "getting back to work and continuing to help feed America."
California lawmakers, who asked federal authorities to show "compassion" to the slaughterhouse and its workers, were also grateful. "The video was posted by extremists who are actively working to undermine production agriculture in the United States," they wrote federal authorities.
Many would say it is Central Valley Meat that is undermining production agriculture. END
Martha's Rosenberg's new book, Born with a Junk Food Deficiency, covers Big Meat and agribusiness.
http://www.amazon.com/Martha-Rosenberg/e/B007CRBU4O
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