WASHINGTON - A federal audit of 18 beef slaughterhouses following the nation's largest beef recall found humane handling violations in four of them, including one serious enough for the plant to be temporarily suspended.
...
The audit, which covered slaughterhouses that supply beef to the
National School Lunch Program and other federal food assistance programs, was requested by Sen. Herb Kohl, a Wisconsin Democrat who chairs the Senate Appropriations agriculture subcommittee. Schafer provided the results to Kohl in a letter for a hearing on the beef recall Tuesday.
...
The USDA's audit didn't uncover problems with downer cattle, but it did issue "noncompliance" records to plants for excessive use of electronic stunning prods; overcrowding of animals in the pens; and bunching up of cattle going into the stunning area. Those three were in addition to the plant that was suspended for insufficient stunning.
In addition, one plant received a "letter of concern" for using a high-powered hose to wash cattle before slaughter. While not a violation, FSIS informed the plant that care should be taken to avoid undue stress or excitement to the animals.
The problems uncovered by the audit have been corrected, Schafer told Kohl at Tuesday's hearing.
"We are confident that USDA can do a better job," he added. "We have helped train our inspectors to observe while being unobserved, so that they can properly watch over the system."
Chicago Tribune
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