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Script: Humane Handling Series – Inhumane Handling of Livestock Part
6 |
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Intro:
Welcome to USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service podcast. Each episode
will bring you cutting edge news and information about how FSIS is working to ensure public
health protection through food safety. While we’re on the job, you can rest assured that
your meat, poultry, and processed egg products are safe, wholesome, properly labeled,
and packaged correctly. So turn up your volume and listen in.
Host:
Hello and welcome to the sixth segment of our podcast series on humane
handling and slaughter of livestock animals for food. I’m Paul Koscak from
FSIS. And joining me again today is my colleague, Joan Collins.
Joan is a program manager in the Office of Field Operations. She has been
with FSIS for more than 20 years and has a great deal of experience training
front line supervisors on the statutes, Rules of Practice and administrative
enforcement. Welcome to the show, Joan.
Guest:
Thank you, Paul. I’m glad to be here.
Host:
Today, we’re going to delve into what FSIS considers inhumane treatment of
animals, which is a very serious matter. Although this is an infrequent
occurrence, it’s an important topic to address.
Joan, while the animals are in holding pens, does FSIS have any humane
handling requirements?
Guest:
Yes. Livestock must have access to water at all times while in holding pens.
There is a Humane Interactive Knowledge Exchange, or HIKE scenario –
Scenario 01-04 – that focuses on access to water.
If livestock are held longer than 24 hours, animals must have access to feed
that is appropriate for the species and age of the animal. And, if animals
are held overnight, they must have enough room to lie down.
This scenario and other HIKE scenarios can be found on the FSIS Web site at
www.fsis.usda.gov.
Host:
Now, what are some examples of inhumane handling practices that FSIS might
observe while verifying the handling of livestock?
Guest:
Although not inclusive, some examples are:
- animals that are slipping and falling in the drive alleys;
- excessive use of an electric prod to drive an animal to a holding
pen;
- using sharp or pointed implements to prod animals;
- forcing animals to move at greater than a walking pace; and
- trying to force animals to move when there is nowhere for them to
go.
Others examples of inhumane handling practices are:
- using inadequate stunning such that the animal regains
consciousness;
- not providing any access to water; or
- not providing any food for more than 24 hours.
Host:
What can plant managers expect from FSIS
inspectors who are ensuring that humane practices are being implemented?
Guest:
Plants always need to ensure they are
practicing humane methods of handling and slaughter. If inspectors observe
an inhumane handling practice, they may issue a Noncompliance Record.
Or if the regulatory violation is very serious, or what FSIS considers,
“egregious,” the inspector may take additional enforcement action. This
could mean withholding inspection by tagging an area until the plant has
corrected the noncompliance.
FSIS inspection personnel are checking and verifying humane handling at
various times and location on the plant’s premises.
Host:
Plants have established times of operation
when federal inspectors are on duty. Are there any special conditions that
might trigger odd hour inspections outside of these hours?
Guest:
Yes. For example, one trigger might be if there are a significant percentage
of animals unloaded outside these previously established times of operation,
at a time when federal inspectors are not on duty.
Other triggers could be that animals may be held over the weekend and there
is not access to water or food. Or animals delivered outside the regular
tour of duty are found with injuries during ante-mortem inspection. Another
might be that disabled animals are being delivered to the establishment
during odd hours.
Phone calls may have been received from the public indicating that inhumane
handling was witnessed during odd hours.
Host:
Would you explain what’s meant by
non-ambulatory disabled animals?
Guest:
Non-ambulatory disabled livestock are defined by FSIS regulations as
“livestock that cannot rise from a recumbent position or that cannot walk,
including, but not limited to, those with broken appendages, severed tendons
or ligaments, nerve paralysis, fractured vertebral columns, or metabolic
conditions.”
Host:
Joan, would you please tell us about the handling of disabled and
non-ambulatory disabled animals?
Guest:
Sure thing. FSIS has very specific regulations with regard to disabled
animals. They must be handled using humane methods from the time held in
conjunction with slaughter to the time of slaughter. Animals that are
disabled must be segregated into the U.S. Suspect pen.
Host:
Okay, what if an animal becomes non-ambulatory after it’s passed ante mortem
inspection, but before it reaches the slaughter area?
Guest:
Establishments must notify inspection program personnel when cattle become
non-ambulatory disabled after passing ante mortem inspection.
FSIS inspectors will then tag these cattle as "U.S. Condemned" and prohibit
them from proceeding to slaughter.
Host:
Is this a change to the regulations?
Guest:
A final rule announced on March 14, 2009, amends the federal meat inspection
regulations to require that all cattle that are non-ambulatory disabled
cattle at any time prior to slaughter at an official establishment be
condemned and properly disposed of according to FSIS regulations.
Host:
Joan, thanks for that important summary of inhumane practices. It’s a
subject that both plant employees and FSIS inspection personnel need to pay
close attention to. Please be sure to join us next time when we’ll discuss
enforcement actions regarding humane handling and slaughter.
Outro:
Well, that’s all for this episode. We’d like your feedback on our podcast. Or if you
have ideas for future podcasts, send us an e-mail at
podcast@fsis.usda.gov. To learn more about food safety, try our web site at
www.fsis.usda.gov. Thanks for tuning
in.
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Last Modified: May 1, 2009 |
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