Last week we celebrated another meaningful
advancement in the legal status of farmed animals. The Food Safety and
Inspection Service (FSIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
announced that it would close two major loopholes in its humane slaughter
regulations. The move will provide compassionate euthanasia to spare some of
the most abused farmed animals from protracted suffering.
advancement in the legal status of farmed animals. The Food Safety and
Inspection Service (FSIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
announced that it would close two major loopholes in its humane slaughter
regulations. The move will provide compassionate euthanasia to spare some of
the most abused farmed animals from protracted suffering.
After surviving their time on factory farms
and slaughterhouse transport trucks, many animals are “downed—that is, too
sick or injured to even stand. For more than a decade, FSIS has prohibited the
slaughter of downed adult cows for human consumption, citing serious animal
welfare and food safety concerns.
and slaughterhouse transport trucks, many animals are “downed—that is, too
sick or injured to even stand. For more than a decade, FSIS has prohibited the
slaughter of downed adult cows for human consumption, citing serious animal
welfare and food safety concerns.
A new FSIS rule, which
takes effect in September, finally extends this same protection to the roughly 1
million young calves who are slaughtered for veal every year. Some of these
calves are newborns, the unwanted offspring of the dairy industry. Others have
been raised for months in extreme confinement and fed an unhealthy low-iron
diet to produce the more expensive “milk-fed veal. In either case, many of
these calves arrive at slaughter in disastrously poor health. The new rule will
make it harder for the industry to profit from this abuse.
takes effect in September, finally extends this same protection to the roughly 1
million young calves who are slaughtered for veal every year. Some of these
calves are newborns, the unwanted offspring of the dairy industry. Others have
been raised for months in extreme confinement and fed an unhealthy low-iron
diet to produce the more expensive “milk-fed veal. In either case, many of
these calves arrive at slaughter in disastrously poor health. The new rule will
make it harder for the industry to profit from this abuse.
The rule also clarifies that FSIS inspection
authority begins once cows are trucked onto slaughterhouse premises, not once
they are loaded into pens. According to the USDA’s Office
of Inspector General, some producers have avoided the
agency’s downer requirements simply by withholding downed cows from inspection
and keeping them to languish on cargo trucks. By clarifying the broad scope of
FSIS’s inspection authority, the new rule should ensure that producers cannot
evade humane slaughter requirements so easily.
authority begins once cows are trucked onto slaughterhouse premises, not once
they are loaded into pens. According to the USDA’s Office
of Inspector General, some producers have avoided the
agency’s downer requirements simply by withholding downed cows from inspection
and keeping them to languish on cargo trucks. By clarifying the broad scope of
FSIS’s inspection authority, the new rule should ensure that producers cannot
evade humane slaughter requirements so easily.
We still have far to go, but every step our
legal system makes toward recognizing the intrinsic value of farmed animals is
a victory. In the meantime, the easiest way to prevent their suffering is
simply to leave them off your plate. Visit ChooseVeg.com to learn more.
legal system makes toward recognizing the intrinsic value of farmed animals is
a victory. In the meantime, the easiest way to prevent their suffering is
simply to leave them off your plate. Visit ChooseVeg.com to learn more.
