Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Hallmark Meat Packing Company: Meat/Cattle Industry Animal Abuse Prior to Slaughter

Note: For updated information and commentary, please see post dated February 18.

The Washington Post runs a story in today's online site exposing unlawful animal abuse at a slaughterhouse/meat packing company in California, and includes video, that is also available for view, from a six-week undercover investigative operation by The Humane Society of the United States.

The article Video Reveals Violations of Laws, Abuse of Cows at Slaughterhouse, by staff writer Rick Weiss, details routine illegal and abusive business practices by senior management staff at Chino, California, slaughterhouse Hallmark Meat Packing. Hallmark is the second largest supplier of beef to the National School Lunch Program, which also feed the needy and the elderly. [The company's Operations Manager is also President of Westland Meat Company, which is a buyer/distributor of meats from Hallmark.]

The abuses were carried out immediately prior to daily USDA inspections, and were done in attempts to force sick and injured cattle to stand up - as required by law for inspection and approval for slaughter.

The USDA will not approve for slaughter 'downed' cows, as it's indicative of the severe health problems of the cow, and the increased possibilities that the cow's meat will infect our food supplies with dangerous E. coli and salmonella bacteria, as well as a life-threatening brain encephalopathy.

The illegal acts that Hallmark Meat Packing inflicted as documented on video; I watched the video and this is what I saw:
  • electric shocks to otherwise immobile cattle's rectums, heads, necks, and spines
  • pushing/raising cows with forklift prongs
  • rolling cows with the forklift's wheels
  • slamming cows into the killbox with forklifts
  • cows being kicked in the head, and hit in the head with the ends of poles
  • high intensity sprays shot up cows' nostrils ("veterinary water-boarding")
  • cows dragged across the ground by their necks and legs by chains attached to vehicles
Click on the story link above to read the article and for a link to the gruesome video, or visit the U.S. Humane Society web site to see the video (which shows additional farm animal abuses). It's a disturbing video; I cried watching it.

detroit dog's thoughts: Hallmark's routine and unlawful abusive actions sadly are likely not the industry exception. Thanks to their lack of concern for human health on a national scale, these activities are doubly despicable for their abuse towards animals and people. Businesses that participate in such abusive activities should not be fined - they should be shut down. In the U.S. alone, literally billions of animals are bred and slaughtered each year for food; think of the abuse to animals and - in the long run - to people. (To read a New York Times article about how this affects global warming, read the New York Times article Rethinking the Meat-Guzzler.)

detroit dog's advice for 'humane' eating:
  • Buy organic foods (meats and poultries included)
  • Buy cage-free and range-free animal food products (not great, but it's a start)
  • Purchase products that do not participate in animal testing
  • Become a vegetarian or - better yet - a vegan
  • Do not eat foods from animals which are treated inhumanely on an industry-wide basis (such as goose and duck pate; even famous chef Wolfgang Puck refuses to cook it and serve it!)
To learn more about living a cruelty-free lifestyle, visit the web site Caring Consumer: A Guide to Kind Living.

For a short piece about USDA follow-up on this particular case, read The New York Times article USDA to Review California Slaughterhouse.

Post update 2/1/2008:

Here's a link to a story about the video at the CNN web site. It appears that some politicians have become involved in the case, but only regarding the possible health dangers to the public. The following are the final two paragraphs from the CNN story:

The USDA, in its news release, said it was "unfortunate" the Humane Society "did not present this information to use when these alleged violations occurred in the fall of 2007."

The Humane Society, in its statement, said it had turned the information over to "California law enforcement officials" at that time, and "local authorities asked for extra time before public release of the information."

Post update 2/1/2008; info courtesy 'Anonymous' comment:


Westland Meat Company
13677 Yorba Ave.
Chino, CA 91710
909-590-3340

Email is: info@westlandmeat.com

Their website is:

http://westlandmeat.com/westland%20contact.htm
The Home button is an apology letter.
Check out the lone award plaque of "Supplier of the year 2004-2005"


16 comments:

  1. I cannot believe this treatment. They may be sick and there for slaughter but they do not deserve this. And don't even tell me the company didn't know. It's money in their pockets. They what those cows up for inspection at any cost.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The people who do this are scumbags. I would love to see the cow trample them and see how they like the pain.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Westland Meat Co.

    Their info is:

    Westland Meat Company
    13677 Yorba Ave.
    Chino, CA 91710
    909-590-3340

    Email is: info@westlandmeat.com

    Their website is:

    http://westlandmeat.com/westland%20contact.htm
    The Home button is an apology letter.
    Check out the lone award plaque of "Supplier of the year 2004-2005"

    ReplyDelete
  4. Heartbreaking...what else is there to say.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I just wanted to say how easy it is to go vegetarian. It's empowering and compassionate. (I've actually been vegan for several months after transitioning from vegetarianism.)

    Visit ChooseVeg.com for more information.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This comes as now surprise. Such inhumane behavior was why the horse slaughter houses were shut down. What really needed to happend was fixing the entire industry.

    Those horse who were supposedly saved from slaughter here have gone to even worse (believe it or not) slaughter conditions in Mexico. And we still have a problem here with this inhumane treatment.

    I agree that present fines are not enough. Inspections are a joke. The industry needs to be investigated and there need to be REAL solutions.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Be vegan - so much more ethical and healthy. I cannot abide the cruelty to animals. It is bad enough that these creatures have to endure a life of crowded misery, but the end it this way is shameful. I cannot imagine the mentally of people who work in these type of industries.

    ReplyDelete
  8. This information makes me cringe. I live on the outskirts of farmland and anytime I see those long silver trailers carrying cattle and pigs I say a prayer for them for a painless death and wonderful afterlife. I don't eat them, but thanks for providing information to those who do, DD.
    Kat

    ReplyDelete
  9. I forgot to mention that I've just posted an anniversary of sorts - the first poem that got me started in this "career".
    Kat
    Funnily enough, it's an animal-preservation story.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thanks, everyone, for your wonderful comments and concern.

    Yes, it is relatively easy to go vegetarian. I've been one for 30 years; my husband has slowly become one of his own accord.

    There was an interesting article in the NY Times earlier this month, about horse auctions in the U.S.; the horses for slaughter are now transported to Canada or Mexico for the slaughter. The article is titled "Horses Spared in U.S. Face Death Across the Border" and ran in the Jan. 11 issue.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I found the following statements on the internet:
    Department of Agriculture secretary Ed Schaefer said he was “deeply concerned about the allegations made regarding inhumane handling of non-ambulatory disabled cattle in a federally inspected slaughter establishment.
    My comment: Mr. Secretary Schaefer pretends he hasn't seen the vidoe or why is he talking about ' allegations'.. what more (than the video) does he need?
    “We are confident in our inspection system and the food safety regulations that ensure the safety and wholesomeness of the food supply. Among the federal safeguards in place, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) prohibits non-ambulatory disabled cattle and cattle tissue identified as specified risk materials for use in human food.
    My comment: Over 61 million pounds of Beef have been recalled AFTER it passed the USDA safty inspection system and only after the public got sick, the Beef was recalled.
    “I have called on the Office of the Inspector General to work with FSIS and the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) to conduct an investigation into this matter. As a result of the investigation, any violations of food safety or humane handling laws will be immediately acted upon.
    My comment: The video clearly shows violations of Food safety... but I guess we still have to wait for the investigation report!
    I saw the video first on 'Insider Edition' and I turned away because I just couldn't watch (call me a softy). I wonder how much TV Media attention this Autrosity will get. The Chinese Melamine case surely got enough that today we bend every product 'Made in China' over the same barrel. In every Industry, there are the 'Good, bad & Ugly'.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous: Thanks so much for your very informational comment. You are so right - about it all.

    I'll try to do a follow up post in the next few days.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Seriously, what can we do to be PROACTIVE about this. I'm usually really mellow but right now i'm fired up and pissed off! I cried when I saw that video! It's not right....we all know it's not right! What exactly can we do right now???

    ReplyDelete
  14. stupid ignorant jerks...i hope it comes back to them.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I BELIEVE THE TOP BRASS WAS AWARE OF THIS INHUMANE TREATMENT TO THE CATTLE, IF THEY ARE NOT AWARE, THEN SOMETHING IS NOT BEING SUPERVISED AS SHOULD. THIS MISTREATMENT MAKES ME SICK TO MY STOMACH.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Those of you who want to be a vegetarian...it's easy don't be apart of this hell. I have been a vegetarian for 25 years.

    ReplyDelete

Conversation appreciated. Ours is a big world, with big opinions; please be respectful.