As a result of scenes contained in the video filmed by the HSUS, which it says was part of an undercover investigation to show the slaughter plant was mistreating animals, the USDA and the Vermont state agriculture agency pulled the operating licenses for the plant on Friday, according to the Reuters article by Roberta Rampton and a USDA news release.
According to the Reuters article, “video footage showed veal calves being ‘kicked, slapped and repeatedly shocked with electric prods and subjected to other mistreatments’ the Humane Society said in a release.” In the USDA news release Secretary Vilsack states:
"USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is investigating these allegedVermont Agriculture Secretary Roger Allbee said the state would lend a hand in the investigation. Both government agencies were apparently alerted about the situation at the plant on Wednesday. Allbee stated "These practices are not representative of the industry as a whole in Vermont and such actions will not be tolerated in our state . . . The (agriculture) agency is taking every action within its power to address the situation."
violations of the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (HMSA). FSIS took immediate
action with respect to its employee and the establishment upon preliminary
verification of the incident. The Department fully supports the investigation of
all those involved in these alleged violations of the HMSA. To this end, I have
also called on our Inspector General to conduct a criminal investigation of the
events in the video.
For their part, the HSUS is supportive of the action being taken by the government in response to their investigation of actions in the plant.
To read the Reuters article click here.
To read the USDA news release click here.
