Senate Appropriations Committee on Food Safety and Beef Recall

At the Senate Appropriations Committee on Food Safety and Beef Recall, Chairman Herb Kohl (D-WI) said Americans were appalled to see cattle being “too sick to stand – much less walk- being chained, dragged, fork-lifted, kicked, jabbed, and dumped.” Even worse, he said, the company on the video (Westland/Hallmark of Chino, California) was one that was a major supplier to the school lunch program.

The people do not want double-speak, Kohl said. The camera never blinks, and the USDA needs to know if there are violations occurring behind their backs. His question, he said, was where does the USDA stand on a straight, bright-line downer ban, stiffer penalties for inhumane treatment of animals, and the continuous surveillance of live animals.

Kohl said, “Here is an opportunity for the USDA to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.” He read a brief statement from Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA), where she stated that in her view, inspection alone will not solve the problems in the food safety inspection system.

Edward T. Schafer, Secretary of Agriculture, said the people rely on the inspectors and the safeguards they have developed to ensure the meat they consume is safe. Our food supply, he says, is safe. They issued a Class 2 recall which means that there was a minimal risk. He said he did not agree with Senator Kohl’s statement that there were sick animals in the food supply. Schafer went on to say that they are determined to find out what went wrong at the plant, and are examining the inspection system to deter future violations at that plant and elsewhere.

They are taking the following steps for humane handling of animals: directing inspectors to be more random in their inspections, prioritizing inspections based on information where they think the most inhumane treatment is occurring, and auditing the purchasing activities.

Schafer said they recognize that the shutdown of Westland/Hallmark will cause loss of jobs, but they believe they are taking the right actions. By taking these actions, he said, they are ensuring that the children who get the school lunches are safe. They are sending a “clear message” that they will continue to uphold their food standards to the highest.