Posted February 4, 2014
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) recently
pulled its inspectors from a New Jersey slaughterhouse after reviewing a video
showing inhumane treatment of calves, according to a USA Today article
available here.
A Catelli Bros. plant closed after USDA suspended the
Collingswood, NJ based company’s operations in Shrewsbury and started an
investigation into the company’s treatment of cattle. Catelli Bros. is one of the biggest veal and
lamb companies in the nation, supplying both grocery stores and restaurants.
In the video, released by the Humane Society of the
United States (HSUS), a calf “had its neck slit and was bleeding profusely
after being shot several times with a stun gun.” In another clip, a “calf that was unable to
walk was being dragged,” according to the Washington Post here.
Both instances violate federal rules requiring that
animals slaughtered for human consumption be treated humanely leading up to and
during slaughter.
“For two generations, Catelli Brothers has recognized
our ethical obligation for the well-being of calves that are in our care, and
we take our commitment to humane treatment of every calf seriously,” said Tony
Catelli, CEO and president of the company.
HSUS applauded FSIS’s action and called on USDA “to
close a loophole in federal policy that allows the slaughter of ‘downed’ veal
calves – those to sick or injured to walk on their own – and does not give
calves the same protections as adult cattle.”
A statement from HSUS is available here.
FSIS said that the length of the suspension will
“depend on how quickly the company responds to the allegations.” The company must identify the problem and
what led to it; describe specific actions taken to eliminate the cause of the
problem; and explain the sort of monitoring activities the company plans to
ensure that new violations do not occur.
For more information on animal welfare, please visit
the National Agricultural Law Center’s website here.
