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Largest US Beef Recall Ever -- 143M Lbs


The Rover

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A California meatpacker accused of animal cruelty is making the largest U.S. meat recall on record -- 143 million lbs, the Agriculture Department said on Sunday.

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idU...=22&sp=true

Most of the meat, raw and frozen beef products, probably has already been consumed, said USDA officials at a briefing. Some 37 million lbs were bought for school lunches and other federal nutrition programs. USDA said there was only a minor risk of illness from eating the beef.

Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co voluntarily recalled all of its beef produced since February 1, 2006. USDA said Hallmark violated rules against the slaughter of "downer cattle" -- that is, animals too ill to walk.

"This is the largest beef recall in the history of the United States, unfortunately," said Agriculture Undersecretary Richard Raymond.

Based in Chino, California, Hallmark/Westland has been closed since early February. Company officials were not immediately available for comment.

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The Humane Society of the United States showed videotapes on January 30 showing workers at the plant using several abusive techniques to make animals stand up and pass a pre-slaughter inspection. These included ramming cattle with forklift blades and using a hose to simulate the feeling of drowning.

"A recall of this staggering scale proves that it's past time for Congress and the USDA to strengthen our laws for the sake of people and animals," said HSUS president Wayne Pacelle.

Raymond said the recall stemmed from slaughter of cattle that could not stand at the time of slaughter, although they passed inspection earlier. Packers are required to alert USDA veterinarians in those cases so they can decide if the animal can be slaughtered for food.

In most cases, beef from downer cattle is barred from the food supply. The rule was adopted as a safeguard against "mad cow" disease, a deadly, brain-wasting illness. People can contract a version of the disease by eating tainted products. USDA said there are many other safeguards against mad cow.

Hey, if waterboarding is good enough for detainees, it oughta be good enough for cattle.

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..

Maybe you can stomach eating factory farmed meat, but can you

stomach watching **the video** of what those animals go through?

If you're gonna eat the meat, you oughta at least watch the video, shouldn't ya? :whistling:

Undercover Investigation Reveals Rampant Animal Cruelty at California

Slaughter Plant – A Major Beef Supplier to America’s School Lunch Program

January 30, 2008

Video evidence compiled by The Humane Society of the United States shows inhumane handling methods that may have endangered the health of children.

The investigation at the Hallmark Meat Packing Co., of Chino, pulls open a curtain on the scandalous treatment of animals slaughtered to supply the National School Lunch Program and other federal aid programs.

Video evidence obtained by an HSUS investigator shows slaughter plant workers displaying complete disregard for the pain and misery they inflicted as they repeatedly attempted to force "downed" animals onto their feet and into the human food chain.

*source*

----

Investigative Update: Cruelty at California Slaughter Plant

February 16, 2008

Two employees of the now shuttered Hallmark Meat Company were charged yesterday with animal cruelty in the aftermath of shocking disclosures from an undercover investigation by The HSUS. Never before in the knowledge of The HSUS have slaughter plant workers faced criminal charges of this nature.

"Americans know cruelty when they see it, and the HSUS investigation has outraged millions," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States. "The suffering of animals shown in the HSUS video is beyond comprehension."

After being provided videotaped evidence and a detailed report of the undercover investigation, San Bernardino County District Attorney Michael A. Ramos charged Daniel Ugarte Navarro with five felony counts under California's anti-cruelty statute and three misdemeanor counts alleging the use of a mechanical device to move "downer" cows, those unable to stand on their own. Convictions on the felony charges could bring a sentence up to 15 years in prison and $100,000 in fines, plus additional penalties on the misdemeanor charges.

*source*

pix_abuse08.jpg

these cattle are alive and conscious.

0202231.jpg

01a5_hog-711988.jpg

:'(

Make no mistake about it,.. factory farming is animal torture.

And supporting factory farming (the source of meat for restaurants.. including

fast food joints.. and most grocery store chains) is supporting animal torture.

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I don't think I'll be able to eat any more beef after those pictures.

Poor things.

Not me. I'm going out in a few minutes for a giant steak with a side of pork chops.

Besides, if you were hungry enough I'd bet you would even eat a cute little puppy dog.

:lol:

We did not get to this place on tofu and and sprouts.

in-the-thick-of-the-hunt.jpg

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I don't think I'll be able to eat any more beef after those pictures.

Poor things.

Good for you! You are no longer in denial; you have faced the reality that the decision to eat factory farmed meat is a decision to support animal torture, and you have chosen to no longer support animal torture. You have taken personal moral responsibility. That's awesome, lzfan!

FYI.. the above news articles talk about "criminal" animal abuse at the processing plant in question,.. but that picture I posted of those cattle hanging by one leg.. alive and conscious as they wait to be slaughtered.. that picture depicts LEGAL factory farming practices. The pictures of the pigs confined, for their lifetime, to those cages also depict LEGAL factory farming practices. Cattle, sheep, chicken, turkey, and pigs are all subjected to heinous factory farming practices that although they are LEGAL they are torturous to those animals. And yet the general public chooses to live in denial of that torture as they gobble down their morning bacon, their lunchtime turkey sandwich, and their evening hamburger or steak.

Factory farming is legalized animal abuse. Period.

Good for you for facing the truth of it, lzfan!

:hippy:

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