USDA to ban all 'downer' cattle from food supply

Robert Roos

May 21, 2008 (CIDRAP News) – In a move to bolster consumer confidence in the safety of US beef and prevent mistreatment of cattle, Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer yesterday announced plans to close a regulatory loophole that permits some disabled cattle to be used for food.

Schafer said the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) would propose a rule to ban the slaughter of all nonambulatory, or "downer," cattle for food, aiming to implement it within a few months.

The move to keep disabled cattle out of the food supply began as a defense against bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, and its human counterpart. The discovery of the first US BSE case in late 2003 prompted the USDA to announce a ban on downers in January 2004. But the agency made an exception for cattle that become disabled after their preslaughter inspection by a USDA veterinarian, if a second inspection shows that the problem is something that doesn't affect food safety, such as a broken leg.

"To maintain consumer confidence in the food supply, eliminate further misunderstanding of the rule and, ultimately, to make a positive impact on the humane handling of cattle, I believe it is sound policy to simplify this matter by initiating a complete ban on the slaughter of downer cattle that go down after initial inspection," Schafer said in his announcement.

The processing of downer cattle into food lurched into the spotlight in January, when undercover videotaping by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) showed workers at a California slaughterhouse using forklifts, electric prods, and water sprays to try to move disabled dairy cows. The revelations led to the recall of 143 million pounds of beef by Hallmark/Westland meat Co. of Chino, Calif., the largest beef recall in US history.

Schafer said closing the loophole would affect relatively few cattle. Of nearly 34 million cattle that were slaughtered last year, fewer than 1,000 animals that were reinspected by government veterinarians were approved for slaughter, he reported.

"The decision to ban all non-ambulatory cattle from slaughter will positively impact the humane handling of cattle by reducing the incentive to send marginally weakened cattle to market," Schafer said. "Cattle producers, transporters and slaughter establishments alike will be encouraged to enhance humane handling practices, as there will no longer be any market for cattle that are too weak to rise or walk on their own."

Closure of the loophole had been sought by industry groups, lawmakers, and the HSUS, and Schafer's announcement met a chorus of approval.

The American Meat Institute and the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) issued statements yesterday applauding the move. Those two groups, along with the National Meat Association, had petitioned the USDA in April to make the ban complete, saying this would help boost US beef exports, among other benefits.

"Consumer confidence is tied to perceptions about the quality and safety of animals in the food supply," the NMPF statement said. "This clarification of the rules preventing nonamubulatory cattle from entering the food chain is a necessary development as much for what it says about consumer perception as its impact on food safety."

Wayne Pacelle, president of the HSUS, praised the move and suggested that USDA inspectors immediately change their practices to match its intent.

Asserting that the current rules contributed to the abuses at the Hallmark/Westland plant, Pacelle said in a statement yesterday, "This is long-anticipated but welcome news. For too long, sick and crippled animals have been allowed into the food supply, putting consumers at risk and subjecting injured and sick animals to needless torment."

He added, "We hope the USDA broadens the rule to include auction houses, to require immediate euthanasia of downers and to apply the rule to pigs and other livestock, not just cattle."

Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., chairman of the Agriculture Appropriations subcommittee, was among several lawmakers who welcomed Schafer's announcement.

"A strictly enforceable downer ban will eliminate confusion and move the ball forward on food safety and humane standards, while restoring consumer faith in a vital American sector," he said in a statement.