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Beef made from cattle too sick to stand { February 2008 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://origin.montereyherald.com/business/ci_8542324 http://origin.montereyherald.com/business/ci_8542324 Exec acknowledges illegal cow slaughter By ERICA WERNER Associated Press Writer Article Launched: 03/12/2008 01:04:46 AM PDT WASHINGTON—The head of the Southern California slaughterhouse at the center of the largest beef recall in U.S. history acknowledged Wednesday that cattle were illegally slaughtered at his plant and that cows too sick to stand were forced into the food supply. Westland/Hallmark Meat Co. President Steve Mendell made the admissions after a congressional panel forced him to watch undercover video of abuses of cattle at his plant. Mendell watched head-in-hand as cows were dragged by chains, jabbed by forklifts and shocked to get them into the box where they'd be slaughtered. Afterward he briefly bowed his head, then backed away from claims he made in his written testimony that no ill cows from his plant entered the food supply. So-called downer cattle are mostly barred by federal regulations from entering the food supply because they have a higher risk of infection. The panel's chairman, Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., asked Mendell whether it was logical to conclude from the video that at least two downer cows entered the nation's food supply. "That would be logical, yes sir," Mendell said. "Has your company ever illegally slaughtered, processed, or sold a downer cow?" Stupak asked. "I didn't think we had sir," Mendell said. Reminding him that he was appearing under oath, lawmakers asked him why he claimed in written testimony that the abused cows where headed to be euthanized, not for the food supply. "I had not seen what I saw here today," said Mendell. He said that the Agriculture Department had refused to allow him to see some of the undercover video shot by the Humane Society of the United States. Stupak pointed out that the video has been posted on the Humane Society Web site. It was Mendell's first public appearance since the undercover video led to his plant's shutdown and last month's recall of 143 million pounds of beef. Mendell was appearing under subpoena before the House Energy and Commerce investigative subcommittee. He was a no-show at a committee hearing last month. Mendell noted that no illnesses have been reported from the recalled beef and the Agriculture Department has found no evidence of problems with it. Some 50 million pounds of the beef went to federal nutrition programs, mostly school lunches. Mendell said he's received death threats. He contended that his company has a long record of good safety procedures and was in the process of taking extensive corrective actions in response to the video when the Agriculture Department shut him down and called for a recall of product produced over the past two years. "Our company is ruined. We cannot continue," Mendell said. Some 220 employees have lost or are about to lose their jobs, he said. Two workers shown on the Humane Society video were fired and are facing animal cruelty charges from San Bernardino County prosecutors in an ongoing criminal investigation. Lawmakers have criticized Agriculture Department inspection procedures and called for reform.

madcow 739 000 pounds beef recalled 99 get salmonella st louis hospital { July 1 2003 } Abused cows cause largest beef recall { March 12 2008 } Al gore hurts environment with his diet Avian flu found in maryland chicken farm { March 7 2004 } Awareness of meat environmental damage increases { April 16 2008 } Baseball player disgusted by factory farms Beef made from cattle too sick to stand { February 2008 } Bird flu spreading un warns { January 24 2004 } Burrito chain attacks pharmaceutical meat additives [jpg] Burrito chain attacks pharmaceutical meat additives { May 20 2007 } Callaway [pdf] Chicken farms ruin oklahoma lakes and streams Chicken litter polluting oklahoma waterways with phosphorus Chicken virus surfaced texas { April 8 2003 } Chickens in rice sacks buried alive in shallow pits Cloned farm animals to provide meat and milk { June 22 2005 } Cows called major california polluters Cows pass cars as polluters in san joaquin valley { August 2 2005 } E coli recall Ecoli cows need fiber { June 6 2001 } Farm salmon high in pcbs Fastfood chain attempts to acquire free range animals { March 28 2007 } Fda approves cloned animals for eating { December 2008 } Fda approves eating clones Fda expecting to allow milk and meat from cloned animals { October 6 2005 } Fish farms are fed chicken dung Ground beef recalled after 2 coloradans sickened { August 5 2003 } Guzzling meat destroying environment { January 27 2008 } Hay fight ecoli { September 19 1998 } Hormones given to cows effect women through milk { May 20 2006 } Kidnapped girl compares herself to caged chickens Livestock are devouring our food supply { June 17 2008 } Meat industry damages planet more than cars { December 10 2006 } Meat industry hurting planet and body Meat industry violates human rights { January 26 2005 } Meat packing plants raided for illegal workers Ohio slaughterhouse tortures its cows { January 31 2008 } Outbreak { April 9 2001 } Pig farming concerns Pork farm products contained human remains Poultry disease { January 16 2003 } Quarantines 5mil chickens avian flu Sales of cloned cattle multiply They die piece by piece { April 10 2001 } US beef unwanted over seas { June 12 2008 } Whats in our cows { January 11 2004 } Files Listed: 47

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