Food Law Prof Blog

Interesting and thoughtful commentary on downer cows on Marlerblog

Marlerblog featured two posts this week giving a broader perspective on downer cows.  Both pieces give clear and useful background information with links to sources:

Should ALL Downers be banned from the food supply? (posted 3/2/08)

I  am thinking about the reasons, ethically, medically and financially why we allow "downer" cattle into our food supply - at any level.  Over the next few days I will give you my thoughts.  Please feel free to weigh in. 

To put things in context, The USDA suggested, and Westland/Hallmark issued, the largest beef recall in history (143 million pounds of meat and now recalls have been issued for retail food items containing traces of the banned beef) just a few weeks ago. This all after the Humane Society released undercover video showing workers at Westland/Hallmark shoving sick or crippled cows (a.k.a. “downers”) with forklifts to get them to stand. So, what is a “downer?”

and

The Raw Economics Driving the Use of Downers (posted 3/4/08)

This is the land of capitalism.  So, we all know that when it comes to using Downers, or non-ambulatory cows, there has to be that raw underbelly of profit or, perhaps more accurately, the illusion of profits.  Let’s examine if the use of downers makes good economic sense.

First some background: In the U.S., we both import and export slaughtered beef and dairy cattle. According to USA Today, some 35 million U.S. cattle are slaughtered each year in the U.S.  According to a recent report by JAVMA, the exact number of nonambulatory cattle on US farms or feedlots or sent to slaughter facilities is difficult to ascertain. However, estimates may approach 500,000 animals per year according to a recent

Both posts are available on MarlerBlog: www.marlerblog.com

Mandatory meat recall authority -- House Bill

Twice in the past week I've been interviewed on the issue of mandatory food recall authority.  The agencies want it; Grocery Manufacturers Association thinks it's a good idea; and now Representative Tom Udall (D- NM) has introduced

Unsafe Meat and Poultry Recall Act

H.R. 5518, A bill to amend the Federal Meat Inspetion Act and the Poultry Products Inspection Act to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to order the recall of meat and poultry that is adulterated, misbranded, or otherwise unsafe. (Introduced 2-28-08).

The bill provides mandatory recall if the company refuses to voluntarily recall tainted meat.  It applies to meat and poultry --

"If the Secretary finds that a meat product is in violation of this Act and that there is a reasonable probability that human consumption of the meat product may present a threat to public health. . ."

The announcement from Representative Udall's website, February 27, 2008:

Where's the Beef

You have probably heard by now that the USDA recently requested a recall of 143 million pounds of beef. The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Commodity Foods Program had sent 3,000 cases of the questionable beef to New Mexico's Human Services Department to be distributed to school lunch programs. Almost all of the recalled beef has been found, but the episode should remind us that our system for protecting Americans from unsafe meat needs reform. Currently, the USDA cannot force meat companies to recall dangerous products. This leads to time-consuming negotiations between the USDA and the meat companies instead of swift action to protect the public, and it gives meat companies an effective veto on recalls. This situation also undermines America's faith in the safety of the food we eat, which hurts ranchers in New Mexico and across the country. To protect American consumers, restore faith in the meat industry and help our ranchers, I have introduced legislation giving the USDA the power to institute mandatory recalls. No American should be poisoned because the USDA doesn't have the tools it needs to do its job, and I will do all I can to keep Americans safe.

Note:  Food Law Prof Blog is an equal opportunity blog; if you introduce a bill, I will blog it too.  This post was updated March 7, 2008, to incorporate the previously unavailable bill text.