Farmed Animal Watch - May 10, 2001

Farmed Animal Watch
May 10, 2001 (To Search This Page Press Ctrl F)
Issue #6

CONTENTS

1.    FMD: Brazilians Urged to Kill Thousands of Cattle
2.    Slaughter Response to FMD is Draconian
3.    “Downers” Cited Amongst Flaws in U.S. “Mad Cow” Measures
4.    IBP Now Denying E. Coli Investigation
5.    Unsanitary Conditions Found at Meat Processing Plants
6.    Transport Standards Prioritize Animal Welfare
7.    Do You Want Beef With That?
8 .   Genetically Engineering Animals to Reduce Pollution
9.    Prize Awarded to Reporters Fired for RBGH Expose
10. Chickens Home to Roost
11. 3,000 Pigs Die in Fire
12. 30,000 Pig Co-op to Replace Burnt Facility
13. Canadian “Livestock Care Conference”

1. FMD: BRAZILIANS URGED TO KILL THOUSANDS OF CATTLE
The Brazilian government is urging ranchers to kill thousands of cattle after 11 cases of Foot-and-Mouth Disease were found there during the first weekend of May. Prior to the discovery, millions of cattle were to be vaccinated. With 160 million animals, Brazil has one of the largest cattle populations in the world. Animals on ranches that refuse the slaughter plan will be included in the vaccination program, which is anticipated to take about 10 days to complete.

“Brazil tries to halt spread of foot-and-mouth disease,” Associated Press, Stan Lehman, May 9, 2001.

2. SLAUGHTER RESPONSE TO FMD IS DRACONIAN
In his weekly commentary, “Meating Place” Editor Dan Murphy writes about the draconian slaughter of British animals in the vain attempt to eradicate foot-and-mouth disease, noting that one reader compares the systematic killing to exterminating everyone in an office if one person comes down with a cold.

“Is Destruction an `Outdated’ Approach to Controlling Foot-And-Mouth Disease?” Dan Murphy, May 3, 2001. http://www.meatingplace.com

3. “DOWNERS” CITED AMONGST FLAWS IN U.S. MAD COW MEASURES
The inclusion of “downed” cows in the food chain who have not been tested for signs of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease) was cited as one of the flaws in the U.S. plan to protect the country from the disease. The USDA responded by saying the agency plans to test more of these animals. Other noted flaws include: inadequate testing of animals and dietary supplements, problematic processing methods, and unevenly enforced inspection regulations.

“Experts See Flaws In U.S. Mad Cow Measures,” The New York Times, Marian Burros, May 8, 2001.
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/08/health/08MAD.html

4. IBP NOW DENYING E. COLI INVESTIGATION
Still denying charges that animals were skinned alive at one of their Washington state slaughterplants, IBP is now denying that one of their Canadian slaughterplants is being investigated for repeat occurrences of E. Coli bacteria. This contradicts with statements made by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Ground beef produced at the plant from March 1 to 18, 2001 was recalled after having been shipped across Canada, and at least one other recall occurred last June. The plant had already implemented a food safety program and installed a steam pasteurization cabinet.

“IBP Denies Canadian Inspector’s Statement On E. Coli Problems,” The Meating Place, Dan Murphy, May 8, 2001. http://www.meatingplace.com

5. UNSANITARY CONDITIONS FOUND AT MEAT PROCESSING PLANTS
A team of special inspectors found rodent contamination and “germ-ridden” equipment at half of 44 meat-processing plants in New York and New Jersey during an investigation. Three were shut down and many others were reported to have serious safety flaws. The Senate Agriculture Committee is reportedly looking into claims that meat inspectors were ignored or retaliated against for reporting improprieties. About half a dozen inspectors allege they were mistreated by their supervisors at USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service for whistleblowing.

“Meat Plants Fare Badly in Inspections,” The New York Times, Christopher Drew with Bud Hazelkorn, May 5, 2001. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/05/nyregion/05MEAT.html

6. TRANSPORT STANDARDS PRIORITIZE ANIMAL WELFARE
New animal transport regulations to be instituted in the European Union will require ventilation systems to be installed in vehicles, and the temperature and humidity to be monitored when animals are transported in excess of eight hours. New vehicles will need to comply by January 2002, older ones by the end of 2003.

“New Transport Standards Prioritize Animal Welfare,” MeatNews.com, May 2, 2001.
http://www.meatnews.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Article&artNum=1075

7. DO YOU WANT BEEF WITH THAT?
Health authorities in Bombay, India plan to test McDonald’s french fries after a U.S. lawsuit charged the corporation with deceptively adding beef fat to its fries. Activist groups of up to 500 have demonstrated at McDonald’s in and around Bombay, destroying equipment and defacing signs with cow dung. The ruling Hindu political party is demanding the closure of the chain’s outlets in the country. McDonald’s began operating in India in 1996, and sells chicken, lamb and vegetarian burgers there. Whether the corporation will proceed with plans to nearly quadruple the number of outlets in India and introduce drive-through windows remains to be seen. The vegetarian lawyer who brought suit in the U.S. asserts that any vegetarian who ate McDonald’s fries since 1990 - when the corporation claimed it stopped using tallow- is eligible to seek compensation.

“McDonald’s French Fries Under Scrutiny in India,” Reuters, May 7, 2001
http://news.excite.com/news/r/010507/13/health-fries
“McDonald’s French Fry Fracas Heating Up in India,” Meating Place Daily News, Joshua Lipsky, May 10, 2001. http://www.meatingplace.com/meatingplace/DailyNews/News.asp?ID=7418

http://news.excite.com/news/r/010507/13/health-fries

8. GENETICALLY ENGINEERING ANIMALS TO REDUCE POLLUTION
Canadian researchers have genetically altered the salivary excretions of pigs in the hope of making their bodies absorb and retain more phosphorus and excrete less of the element in their manure. Phosphorus can deaden lakes by promoting excessive algae growth, which in turn produces a potent greenhouse gas. The results of preliminary experiments on mice have proven promising to the University of Guelph scientists.

“Guelph scientists work on cleaner pig,” The Canadian Press, Helen Branswell, April 30, 2001.
http://www.canoe.ca/CNEWSScience0104/30_pig-cp.html
“Phosphorus-friendly transgenics,” Nature Biotechnology, Kevin A. Ward, May 2001, p. 415- 416.
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/dynapage.taf?file=/nbt/journal/v19/n5/index.html#FICI88091

9. PRIZE AWARDED TO REPORTERS FIRED FOR RBGH EXPOSE
Two television news journalists were presented the Goldman Environmental Prize for their efforts to expose public health risks presented by recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH). This 9 page article relates the author’s ordeal after she and her husband were fired from a Fox t.v. news station for refusing to falsify their report. The network had pressured them to do so in order to appease Monsanto Corporation, which makes the drug. The court case that followed resulted in the first whistleblower judgement against a news organization accused of illegally distorting the news.

“Got Milk? Get Fired,” In These Times, Jane Akre, May 28, 2001.
http://www.inthesetimes.com/web2513/akre2513.htm

10. CHICKENS HOME TO ROOST
A Cleveland, Ohio live animal market butcher shop has been shut down and the surviving chickens, ducks and rabbits have found sanctuary. Local animal activists discovered unsanitary conditions there, and United Poultry Concerns twice urged authorities to investigate. City health officials closed the shop when they found animals from unknown sources and undocumented meat there on April 27th.

“Chickens bound for pot will get to fly the coop,” The Plain Dealer, Michael Sangiacomo, May 2, 2001.
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/html_standard.xsl?/base/cuyahoga/9887982662469514.xml

http://www.upc-online.org

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/08/health/08MAD.htmlhttp://www.cast-science.org

11. 3,000 PIGS DIE IN FIRE
Nearly 3,000 sows and piglets died in Manitoba, Canada, on April 25th when an electrical malfunction occurred in the building they were in. Co-owner Gaylene Siemens lamented the loss of the $3 million building, saying: “We put six years heart and soul into that barn. To have it go up in flames is quite sad.”

“Hog barn destroyed in Man. fire,” Western Producer, Ian Bell, May 3, 2001
http://www.producer.com/articles/20010503/news/20010503news10.html

12. 30,000 PIG CO-OP TO REPLACE BURNT FACILITY
A farrow-to-finish building holding 5,500 sows and two 9,600 piglet “nursery” facilities are to replace the wood-frame buildings in which 14,000 pigs perished in a fire on February 22, 2001, in Saskatchewan, Canada.

“Major Hog Project Unveiled: Plans for $40-Million Pork Co-op Rise From Ashes of Devastating Barn Fire,” The StarPhoenix, Murray Lyons, April 25, 2001.
http://www.saskstar.sk.ca/ccframeset.html

13. CANADIAN “LIVESTOCK CARE CONFERENCE”
A conference addressing farmed animal welfare concerns will be held on June 7^th at the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Discussion topics include: impacts of the increasing profile of farmed animal welfare (e.g., McDonald’s new standards), animal production quality assurance and food safety, bio-engineering farmed animals, environmental impacts, and industry adaptations. The conference is sponsored by the Alberta Farm Animal Care Association (AFAC); Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development; and the University of Calgary. For more information or to register ($60) contact AFAC at: http://www.afac.ab.ca or call: (403) 932-8050.

http://www.afac.ab.ca/LCC2001.htm

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