USDA Actions

Q. Why didn't USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service immediately suspend operations at Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company?

A. On Feb. 4, FSIS issued a Notice of Suspension based on the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company's failure to maintain and implement controls to prevent the inhumane handling and slaughter of animals at the facility required by USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) regulations and the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act. Issuing a Notice of Suspension is a normal course of action when FSIS finds egregious violations of humane handling regulations. The suspension will remain in effect and the plant will be unable to operate until written corrective actions are submitted and verified by FSIS to ensure that animals are handled and slaughtered humanely.

Q. Why didn't FSIS suspend the establishment upon learning of the allegations?

A. FSIS initiated the investigation after receiving allegations of inhumane handling of cattle at the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company. The plant voluntarily ceased slaughter operations on Friday, Feb. 1, pending Agency investigation that led to verification of alleged activities documented in undercover videos.

On Feb. 4, FSIS suspended inspection at Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company, and the plant will not be able to resume operations until they adequately respond to the Notice of Suspension. The response must explain how these violations occurred, what actions they have planned to address the violations, when they plan to implement those changes and must demonstrate that it has acceptable corrective actions in place. When the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company is permitted to resume operations, FSIS inspectors will increase oversight and verification of the plant's implementation of the corrective actions.

Q. When can Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company resume operations?

A. The Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company must first respond to the Notice of Suspension and submit a corrective action plan to address its failure to properly implement the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act and FSIS regulations. FSIS must first verify that the plan they submit fully and completely addresses the findings in the Notice of Suspension to ensure the humane handling and slaughter of animals at the facility.

Q. Has the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company responded to the Notice of Suspension?

A. To date, the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company has not submitted a response to the Notice of Suspension to FSIS.

Q. What will FSIS do to ensure this does not happen again?

A. The Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company first must respond to the Notice of Suspension. FSIS will then assess whether its response adequately addresses the findings in the suspension. If the response adequately addresses the regulatory noncompliance, FSIS then would place the suspension in abeyance, and allow the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company to implement its corrective action plan and FSIS would rigorously verify the execution of the corrective action plan.

Q. How does FSIS know that this is not happening at other establishments?

A. FSIS believes this to be an isolated incident of egregious violations to humane handling requirements and the prohibition of non-ambulatory disabled cattle from entering the food supply. FSIS inspection program personnel are trained to identify these behaviors and act immediately if they witness animals being handled in an inhumane manner and to prevent non-ambulatory disabled cattle being moved to slaughter.

Public Health Veterinarians or other inspectors visit the holding pens to conduct ante-mortem inspection on an entire lot. They also randomly return to the area to observe specific humane handling activities at other times throughout each production shift.

Plant employees are required to handle animals in a humane manner that minimizes excitement, discomfort and stress. Employees also are required to immediately notify FSIS inspection program personnel if an animal becomes non-ambulatory after passing ante-mortem inspection.

There are 7,800 inspection personnel that provide inspection to more than 6,200 federally inspected establishments. USDA has continuous presence at all federally inspected slaughter facilities. FSIS is responsible for assuring that the nation's commercial supply of meat, poultry and egg products is safe, wholesome, correctly labeled and packaged. FSIS also is responsible for ensuring that establishments follow all food safety and humane handling regulations.

In 2007, FSIS issued a total of 66 suspensions to federally inspected establishments, 18 percent (12 suspensions) of which were for egregious humane handling violations witnessed by inspection program personnel.

Of the 6,200 federally inspected establishments, approximately 900 slaughter livestock and are therefore subject to the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act. In 2007, FSIS conducted approximately 167,540 humane handling verification activities which resulted in 691 noncompliance records (0.41percent noncompliance rate) at these facilities. Noncompliance records for humane handling can be issued when the violation is less than egregious, such as not having water available in pens.

Q. Why didn't FSIS personnel witness non-ambulatory animals being presented for slaughter?

A. FSIS inspection program personnel conduct ante-mortem inspection on all cattle on the same day of slaughter. If an animal becomes non-ambulatory before or at the time of being presented for slaughter, plant personnel are required to summon an FSIS Public Health Veterinarian to re-evaluate the animal.

If an animal becomes non-ambulatory after passing ante-mortem inspection, the Public Health Veterinarian may make a determination, on a case by case basis, that the animal was unable to walk due to an acute injury, such as due to a broken leg, and would therefore be eligible to move on to slaughter as a "U.S. Suspect."

FSIS inspection program personnel maintain a continuous presence at all slaughter establishments while they are operating.

FSIS inspection program personnel are stationed at various points throughout the slaughter and processing operation.

Public Health Veterinarians or other inspectors visit the holding pens to conduct ante-mortem inspection on an entire lot. They also randomly return to the area to observe specific humane handling activities at other times throughout each production shift.

Q. Has USDA increased its inspection procedures at other facilities since these allegations?

A. Although the investigation is ongoing, FSIS began interim action items on March 3 to verify and thoroughly analyze humane handling activities in all federally inspected establishments.

These interim actions include increased time allocated per shift to verify humane handling activities and to verify these activities in the ante-mortem areas and will conduct surveillance activities to observe the handling of animals outside the approved hours of operation from vantage points within and adjacent to the official premises.

FSIS believes this to be an isolated incident of egregious violations to humane handling requirements and the prohibition of non-ambulatory disabled cattle from entering the food supply.

There are 7,800 inspection personnel that provide inspection to more than 6,200 federally inspected establishments. USDA has continuous presence at all federally inspected slaughter facilities. USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service is responsible for assuring that the nation's commercial supply of meat, poultry and egg products is safe, wholesome, correctly labeled and packaged. FSIS is also responsible for ensuring that establishments follow all food safety and humane handling regulations.

In 2007, FSIS issued a total of 66 suspensions to federally inspected establishments, 18 percent (12 suspensions) of which were for egregious humane handling violations witnessed by inspection program personnel.

Note: After more thorough analysis of existing data, the following information has been updated:

Of 6,200 federally inspected establishments, approximately 800 slaughter livestock and are therefore subject to the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act. In 2007, FSIS conducted approximately 125,099 humane handling verification activities resulting in 524 noncompliance records (0.42 percent noncompliance rate) at federally inspected slaughter facilities. Noncompliance records for humane handling may be issued when the violation is less than egregious, such as not having water available in pens.