CRIMES WITHOUT CONSEQUENCES - gpvec
CRIMES WITHOUT CONSEQUENCES - gpvec
CRIMES WITHOUT CONSEQUENCES - gpvec
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
exeCutive summary<br />
Federal enforcement at foreign slaughterhouses<br />
Approximately three dozen countries are eligible to export meat to the United States.<br />
The USDA is expected to ensure that the meat inspection system of a foreign country is<br />
equivalent to U.S. domestic meat inspection, including in the area of humane handling<br />
and slaughter. However, Jones found that the USDA does not routinely consider humane<br />
slaughter laws and their enforcement in reviewing foreign country eligibility, and in<br />
inspecting foreign slaughter plants, the agency cites almost no humane deficiencies.<br />
The USDA explains this finding by noting that there is a “high level of compliance in<br />
foreign plants.” But it seems unlikely that foreign slaughter plants would excel at humane<br />
slaughter when many are found to be wanting in nearly every other area.<br />
State enforcement at U.S. slaughterhouses<br />
Twenty-nine states operate meat inspection programs, and nine of these have the<br />
authority to administer humane slaughter laws at federal as well as state-inspected<br />
slaughterhouses. However, most states running meat inspection programs were not able to<br />
provide any documents related to humane slaughter enforcement for a recent three-year<br />
period. The states with no records of humane enforcement are responsible for overseeing<br />
animal handling and slaughter at a total of 600 slaughter plants.<br />
Of the 30 states accredited to administer humane slaughter programs at the time of the<br />
review (one state—New Mexico—has since lost its accreditation), 20 could provide no<br />
humane enforcement records for the period 2002 through 2004:<br />
Alabama Iowa South Dakota<br />
Arizona Louisiana Utah<br />
Colorado Maine Vermont<br />
Delaware* Mississippi Virginia<br />
Georgia Missouri West Virginia<br />
Illinois Montana Wyoming<br />
Indiana New Mexico (* No state-inspected plants at the time)<br />
Four states issued at least one deficiency record, but took no further actions during the<br />
period:<br />
North Carolina Oklahoma<br />
North Dakota Texas<br />
Six states took an action for inhumane slaughter beyond issuance of a deficiency record:<br />
California Ohio<br />
Kansas South Carolina<br />
Minnesota Wisconsin<br />
3