Farmed Animal Watch
May 6, 2001                                                 (To Search This Page Press Ctrl F)
Issue #5

CONTENTS

1.    Phoenix Rises, Culling Policy Changed
2.    Potential Mass Exodus of Farmers
3.    Role of Farmers to Change
4.    nvCJD Victim Count Could Reach 250,000
5.    Food for Thought: Brain Tissue in the Food Supply
6.    100 Tons of Old Hamburger Recalled
7.    High-Pressure Wash of Live Cattle
8.    USDA/Purdue Conference on Farmed Animal Well-Being
9.    Income From Animals Up
10.  Tyson Foods’ Earnings Plunge
11.  Red Meat: From Centerpiece to Ingredient
12.  Corporations To Be Held Responsible For Waste
13.  Pennsylvania Horses To Slaughter


1.  PHOENIX RISES, SLAUGHTER POLICY CHANGED
Two months and more than 2 million animals after the slaughter commenced, Britain has announced a change in its foot-and-mouth disease slaughter scheme. The decision followed the discovery of a calf who escaped the mass slaughter on her farm. Uninfected cattle on farms neighboring infected farms may now be spared automatic slaughter, though pigs and sheep will still be killed. In a related story, Porky, a potbellied pig, was also spared after a 3 hour stand-off.

“A Star Rises From Britain’s Livestock Disaster,” The Washington Post, April 27, 2001, T. R. Reid, A01.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7644-2001Apr26.html
“Happiness as Porky lives to grunt another day,” The Telegraph, Jenny  McCartney, April 29, 2001. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/et?ac=000140326706927&rtmo=asbxwx8L&atmo=asbxwx8L&pg=/et/01/4/29/nfnm329.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk ...See also: “Refined Slaughter: Britain shifts its slaughter policy for foot and mouth disease, but many animals may have been needlessly culled,” New Scientist, April 26, 2001.
http://www.newscientist.com/dailynews/news.jsp?id=ns9999671
For an account of the slaughter workers see: “Workers on the conveyor belt of death,” The Telegraph, April 28, 2001.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/et?ac=004877985534575&rtmo=welffjtb&atmo=rrrrrrrq&pg=/et/01/4/28/nfnm528.html



2.  POTENTIAL MASS EXODUS OF FARMERS
As many as 40% of the U.K.'s farmers may quit farming due to the foot-and-mouth disease crisis, according to rural surveyors who deal in real estate. Research from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors shows the surveyors expect 20-40% of farm operations to shut down by year's end.

"Survey Shows Potential Mass Exodus of British Farmers," AgWeb News, Darcy Maulsby, April 25, 2001
http://www.agweb.com/news_show_news_article.asp?file=AgNewsArticle_20014251136_489&newscat=GN
“British farmers plan to quit or scale down,” Farmers Weekly Interactive, April 27, 2001
http://www.fwi.co.uk/live/agworld.html


3.  ROLE OF FARMERS TO CHANGE
British farmers will be paid to care for the countryside rather than to intensively produce food, according to planned reforms following the foot-and-mouth disease crisis. If the government can secure changes to the Common Agricultural Policy, farmers will be rewarded for maintaining the traditional landscape instead of producing an excess of cheap food by intensive methods. 

“Farmers to be `keepers of countryside,’” The Telegraph, Rachel Sylvester, April 28, 2001.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/et?ac=004877985534575&rtmo=VkPlZ5mx&atmo=rrrrrrrq&pg=/et/01/4/28/nfnm28.html


4.  nvCJD VICTIM COUNT COULD REACH 250,000
Wellcome Trust, a British organization studying the British BSE outbreak, developed a mathematical prediction model which suggested up to 136,000 people would ultimately die of nvCJD (the human form of “mad cow” disease). With recent cases suggesting an incubation period of as long as 15 to 20 years, the organization has revised its projections and is now predicting that as many as 250,000 people will die from the disease.

“Bad-news bulletin,” Meat Marketing & Technology, p. 19-20, April 2001.


5.  FOOD FOR THOUGHT: BRAIN TISSUE IN THE FOOD SUPPLY
A recent study shows that “air-injected stunners are the equivalent of human car wrecks on livestock.” The force of the blow can drive brain tissue into the bloodstream of an animal and on to other organs where it can end up in the human food supply. Brain tissue is categorized as “high-risk material” due to the BSE risk it poses.
“Bad-news bulletin,” Meat Marketing & Technology, p. 20, April 2001.
http://www.meatingplace.com

6.  100 TONS OF OLD HAMBURGER RECALLED
IBP’s Lakeside Packers of Canada has recalled 100 tons of hamburger after people were sickened by it last month. The meat was produced on March 1^st, and distributed in 10 states across the U.S. and 7 Canadian provinces. An FDA recall notice was issued on April 22^nd. The article explains that contamination occurs when cattle are confined in feedlots to be fattened for slaughter.

“100 Tons of Ground Beef Recalled,” HealthScout Reporter, Neil Sherman, April 28, 2001.
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/hsn/20010428/hl/100_tons_of_ground_beef_recalled_1.html


7.  HIGH-PRESSURE WASH OF LIVE CATTLE
Now considering pre-slaughter (“pre-harvest”) approaches to food safety, industry is experimenting with the use of a high-pressure water spray on live cattle to remove dirt and feces from them. The use of an antimicrobial wash is also being examined. Contrasting herds in the U.S. to those in Australia and New Zealand, where cattle are already being washed prior to slaughter, the article points out that U.S. herds are “raised in far larger numbers in congested and typically less sanitary feed lots.” The process may be available for commercial use by summer.

“Live Animal Interventions: The Future of Food Safety,” Meat Marketing & Technology, Joshua Lipsky, p. 36, April 2001. http://www.meatingplace.com


8.  USDA/PURDUE CONFERENCE ON FARMED ANIMAL WELL-BEING
The USDA Agricultural Research Service’s Livestock Behavior Research Unit and Purdue University’s Center for Farm Animal Productivity and Well-Being held a farmed animal well-being conference on April 27^th at the Lafeyette, Indiana campus. Researchers, industry spokespersons and two philosophers made presentations to some 80 attendees, including a number of animal science students. Absent from the speakers list was anyone representing an animal advocacy position. Poultry behaviorist Joy Mench urged industry to develop welfare guidelines, pointing out that the animal research community has largely been able to regulate itself through them. An article on the conference quotes philosopher David Fraser as saying, “If the animal welfare issue were taken care of, the wind would be taken out of the sails of the animal rights movement.”

Farmed Animal Watch Editor’s Note
“Focus on welfare of livestock growing,” Indianapolis Star, Norm Heikens, April 28, 2001
http://www.indystar.com/print/articles/avs/animal28.html


9.  INCOME FROM ANIMALS UP
The U.S. gross income  from cattle, pigs and sheep for 2000 totaled $53.4 billion, up 16% from 1999, according to a USDA report released on April 27^th. Pigs increased  36%, cattle 12%, and sheep also increased slightly. Cash receipts from the marketing of animals for meat increased 10% to $53 billion.

“2000 Gross Income From Meat Animals Up 16 Percent,” AgWeb, April 27, 2001
http://www.agweb.com/news_show_news_article.asp?file=AgNewsArticle_20014271620_1013&newscat=GN


10.  TYSON FOODS’ EARNINGS PLUNGE
Tyson Foods, the world's largest chicken producer, reported a net loss of $6 million in its last fiscal quarter due to poultry price drops, increased operating costs from harsh winter weather, costs related to a food recall, and a failed takeover of IBP.  Profit from operations fell to $8.7 million from net income of $35.7 million in the same period last year.

“Business in Brief,” The Washington Post, May 1, 2001, E02
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25362-2001Apr30.html


11.  RED MEAT: FROM CENTERPIECE TO INGREDIENT
Facing challenges from animal rights activists, human health concerns, and environmental issues, an eminent meat research and development expert predicts a trend of seeing red meat slip from entree to ingredient.

“Soy Protein and Meat Formulations,” Meat Marketing & Technology, April 2001
http://www.meatingplace.com


12.  CORPORATIONS TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR WASTE
Oklahoma may require corporate pork and poultry operators to be responsible for the pollution generated by their contract growers, according to a recent opinion by the Attorney General. Corporate contracts now typically put the responsibility on the “grower.” State Senator Paul Muegge, who leads the Senate effort to strengthen regulations on factory “farms,” said a successful lawsuit will be necessary to institute the change. 

“Tighter rules for animal operations get boost,” The Associated Press, April 29, 2001.
http://db.oklahoman.com/cgi-bin/show_article?ID=676819&pic=none&TP=getarticle


13.  PENNSYLVANIA HORSES TO SLAUGHTER
Of the 60,000 horses slaughtered nationally every year, 7,000 come from Pennsylvania. The horses, who may come from farms, racing, even summer camps, are sold at auction to “killer buyers” and are shipped off to slaughter in Canada and Texas. The article tells of  recent abuses filmed at the east coast’s largest horse auction, and cruelty and violations occurring during transport.

“Team 4: State Ranks High In Equine Slaughter,” Yahoo! News, April 30, 2001
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/wtae/20010430/lo/387232_1.html