Has anyone seen this yet?

[nenmrancher]

http://www.meatingplace.com/MembersOnly/webNews/details.aspx?item=15741

HSUS-backed animal cruelty bill introduced

By Meatingplace Editors on 3/5/2010



U.S. Reps. Diane Watson (D-Calif.) and Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.) this week introduced the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act to set rules around confinement of animal used to produce food purchased by the federal government.

The Humane Society of the United States praised the proposal and encouraged Congress to act swiftly to pass the bill.

In a news release, HSUS said the bill "simply requires that any food purchased for federal programs comes from animals raised with enough room to stand up, lie down, turn around and stretch their limbs."

"This bill requires meat producers who sell to the federal government to follow the same guidelines that California producers have in place to ensure the animals are raised humanely," said Rep. Gallegly in a statement.

Seven states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Maine, Michigan and Oregon — have passed laws to phase out some form of animal confinement, but no federal laws mandate animal husbandry practices.

The federal government spends more than $1 billion buying animal products for a variety of programs and agencies, including the National School Lunch Program, the Armed Services and the Bureau of Prisons, according to HSUS.

 

[PORKER]

BUT have you seen this?

USDA Vet Blows Whistle on Food Safety Agency
by Helena Bottemiller | Mar 10, 2010
Congressman promises "relentless" oversight after FSIS veterinarian blows whistle on humane handling and food safety violations

Congressional oversight subcommittee chairman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) is vowing to increase oversight over USDA meat safety after a Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) veterinarian blew the whistle on his supervisors for ignoring violations of food safety and humane slaughter laws.

Dean Wyatt, who has been an FSIS public health veterinarian for 18 years, outlined violations of the Humane Slaughter Act he witnessed on the job before the Subcommittee on Domestic Policy last week. According to Wyatt, his attempts to enforce the law were thwarted by "well-paid public health officials."

Wyatt cited Seaboard Farms in Oklahoma a half dozen times for non-compliance. The facility was written up for shackling and bleeding out pigs while they were conscious, aggressively unloading animals, and allowing pigs to slip and trample one another. Both the company and FSIS supervisors pushed back against Wyatt's reports.

"FSIS officials who were hundreds of miles away simply took company personnel at their word that the egregious events I had personally witnessed did not justify my actions," Wyatt said in his testimony before lawmakers.

Wyatt's allegations were supported by Government Accountability Office (GAO) findings released at the hearing. The GAO found FSIS enforcement of humane slaughter laws to be inconsistent.

"Inconsistent" may be putting it lightly.

According to Wyatt, he not only faced resistance within the USDA's food safety agency for issuing non-compliance reports, he faced retaliation. Wyatt was "berated" by the district office manager for his enforcement actions. He was told he had to transfer or face termination, so Wyatt headed to Vermont.

In his new turf, Wyatt oversaw Bushway Packing, where he witnessed even more egregious violations. Bushway employees dragged and even tossed young calves too weak to walk. Wyatt again tried to enforce the law and again met resistance and retaliation from his supervisors.

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) eventually caught graphic footage of animal mistreatment at Bushway, providing horrific evidence to back up to Wyatt's continued complaints. Upon release of the footage--which depicted the skinning and decapitating of conscious week-old calves--Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack shut down the plant and ordered a criminal investigation.

Though Wyatt has since gained support from high level officials at USDA, his experience highlights systemic problems at FSIS. "Food integrity and humane handling whistleblowers should not have to rely on an undercover video investigation in order for USDA supervisors to take their disclosures seriously," said Wyatt in his testimony before the committee.

The agency's problems--highlighted by both Wyatt and the GAO--raise serious concerns about food safety, as well as animal rights.

"Is there a connection, in your professional opinion, between humane handing and the safety of food which people consume?" subcommittee chairman Kucinich asked Jerold Mande, deputy under secretary for food safety at FSIS. "Would you eat meat where the calves were treated like that? Would you consume those products? Isn't at some point this a health issue?"

Mande indicated he does believe there is a link between humane treatment and safety. "I think when companies violate the humane slaughter act it's a demonstration that they don't have control over their processes," he told the committee. "It raises a question on how they can control their food safety processes."

Wyatt agrees. "If they're not following their humane handling practices they're probably not following their HACCP plans."

Lisa Shames, director of Natural Resources and Environment at GAO, who also testified in the hearing, highlighted similar concerns. "Downer animals roll around in feces and that can encourage or bring about E. coli," she said.

"We know E. coli, mad cow disease, and other problems are associated with the mistreatment and mishandling of animals," Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of HSUS, told the committee.

Though Kucinich made it a point to tell witnesses he does not eat meat and does not believe in humane slaughter--he says "it's a contradiction of terms"--he will take an active role in ensuring current regulations are followed.

"For those Americans who do consume those food products, and who rely on the government to make sure that those products are safe, this subcommittee will relentlessly pursue the food safety issues, and the industry can count on that."
Tags: Dennis Kucinich, FSIS, slaughterhouse, USDA, whistleblower

 

[nenmrancher]

So porker does that mean you support having a anti-animal ag group, that is only looking to do away with any animal agriculture, writing the rules?

 

[Sandhusker]

You would think that this legislation would be shot down quickly, but then I thought that about the horse slaughter bill, too. Nothing is impossible these days, whether it makes sense or not.

 

[Anonymous]

You would think that this legislation would be shot down quickly, but then I thought that about the horse slaughter bill, too. Nothing is impossible these days, whether it makes sense or not.

The thing is if the Industry doesn't start policing itself- from truthful labeling on origin, steroids and antibiotics use, inspection and labeling protocol and find some way to stop all these recalls and disease outbreaks- the consumers are going to demand it....And that will either mean more stringent government regulation- or loss of demand for the product.....

 

[jamiehuggins]

This item is similar to the proposition 2 that California passed a few years ago, which made farrowing crates illegal, I believe that it also stated all chickens had to be free ranged, and had other legalities involving farming/ranching. Hope that these things will be shot down it possibly the worst thing the agriculture industry could do. If we don't stand up for ourselves and voice our own opinions than they aren't going to be heard. We most assuredly need to be the ones make new regulations in our own industry. Otherwise activists and do-gooders will gladly create absurd laws, such as the equine slaughter.

 

[PORKER]

No I don't support having any anti-animal ag groups , But I support a rule that any anti-animal ag groups must pay trible damages for loss of income by opposing any form or kind of animal agriculture of the producers affected.