Sick Cows Hit Food Supply, Beef Chief Says

Slaughterhouse President Backs Off Original Claim In Front Of House Panel

(AP)  The head of the 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 California 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, a Democrat, asked Mendell whether it was logical to conclude from the video that at least two downer cows entered the U.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.

It was Mendell's first public appearance since the undercover video by the Humane Society of the United States 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 initially contended that the cows shown unable to walk in the Humane Society of the United States video were designated to be euthanized. He said they were not being sent to slaughter in violation of federal rules barring most "downer" cows from the food supply because they carry a higher risk of infection.

"While these cows should be treated humanely and they were not, these cows were not harvested and they did not enter the food supply," Mendell said in written testimony. "They were not slaughtered, ground or sold. They were euthanized and removed."

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 said that the cows shown in the video being shocked and pushed with a forklift wouldn't have been able to make it up the chute to where the slaughter process begins. Instead they appear to be among the 10 to 15 cows that were euthanized at the slaughterhouse each day because they were non-ambulatory, he said.

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.

"I am not aware that there has ever before been a meat recall of this magnitude where there is no evidence of contaminated food and no evidence of any illness," he said.

Mendell said he has 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.

[brianbwb-2009]

"Our company is ruined. We cannot continue," Mendell said. Some 220 employees have lost or are about to lose their jobs, he said."

Once again, business holds a knife to the throats of workers to try to get concessions and allowances to be corrupt.

The Auto industry did it, the Airlines did it, Bush does it, the notion that "doing the right thing" for your brethren would harm the economy is saying that profit is more valuable than life.

[lil_willie61]

But I stand corrected.

Posted by PetefromNZ at 12:20 AM : Mar 13, 2008

Thank you.

[petefromnz]

What did I say that had anything at all to do with E. Coli? Where did I say that I oppose regulation? Sounds like you want to believe that I am somehow told what to think and how to feel. Who''''s logic is that? It''''s the knee-jerking Kool-Aid drinkers who need someone to think for them. I count myself among the fortunate who can draw their own conclusions.
Posted by lil_willie61

Pleased to hear that you are not one of those who think that food safety regulation should be light-handed, like some contributors here, food industry lobbyists, and Bush and his USDA appointees. The under-resourcing of the food inspectorate is, of course, closely linked with the rising levels of E. Coli, Listeria, etc in the US. Fast Food Nation is good for a graphic account of what this means in human terms.

But I stand corrected.

[alphaa10-2009]

sbbm said, "You actually blame Bush for this mess?..."
---
Bush appointees serve at the pleasure of the president-- what part of that do you not understand? And Bush USDA appointee Veneman is a party political animal.

Veneman''s main qualification seems to be disguising the public health risk of slaughtering sick cattle and making sandwiches from the meat.

To make it easier for you, Bush is to appropriate government regulation as Dracula is to the Red Cross-- that is, neither is suited for the job.

If you had any knowlwedge at all of how the stuff you put into your mouth is farmed and slaughtered, you would be inclined to protest yourself.

You always vote to keep America "safe" with a military budget that dwarfs the rest of the world, but cannot understand why US government inspectors are vital for meat packing operations.

Speaking of "growing up", try this exercise-- tune to any media channel but Faux News for an hour daily. The insidious effects will start within days...

[lil_willie61]

Those people will be mean and cruel whether the Reps or the Dems win in November. If you believe otherwise, you are sadly mis... no, you''''''''re just freaking nuts, and know very little about human nature.
Posted by lil_willie61 at 08:01 PM : Mar 12, 2008

So there''''s no point trying to regulate against life-endangering practices in the food industry? Or trying to enforce such regulations with inspections and prosecutions? A little E. coli O157:H7 never did anyone any harm did it? Sounds like Bushie logic.

Posted by PetefromNZ at 08:29 PM : Mar 12, 2008


What did I say that had anything at all to do with E. Coli? Where did I say that I oppose regulation? Sounds like you want to believe that I am somehow told what to think and how to feel. Who''s logic is that? It''s the knee-jerking Kool-Aid drinkers who need someone to think for them. I count myself among the fortunate who can draw their own conclusions.

[vincan-2009]

Greed and disregard for quality and safety is the problem, and it is horrible that the very things we want to believe turn out to be false. George Bush is guilty of corruption and greed. Some of us are obsessed with his evil ways and do give him credit for most of what is wrong in the country. Not caring about people and the safety of meat is sick.

[blondmadison]

Ruined? Out of a job?
You bags of pure sh-t fed that garbage to CHILDREN!
You f-cked up freaks would harm CHILDREN to make your money?

SHUT DOWN. SHUT DOWN. SHUT DOWN.

[nothappyatall]

"Our company is ruined. We cannot continue," Mendell said. Some 220 employees have lost or are about to lose their jobs, he said. "

TOO BAD MENDELL, you got what you deserve, shut em down and be rid of this cattle Auschwitz and their filthy disease ridden product no one needs.

220 employees out of the job, yeah, those 220 mexicans I guess will have to go back home now- we know all these meat packers hire illegals, no loss to us if they go packing home.

[petefromnz]

Those people will be mean and cruel whether the Reps or the Dems win in November. If you believe otherwise, you are sadly mis... no, you''''re just freaking nuts, and know very little about human nature.
Posted by lil_willie61 at 08:01 PM : Mar 12, 2008

So there''s no point trying to regulate against life-endangering practices in the food industry? Or trying to enforce such regulations with inspections and prosecutions? A little E. coli O157:H7 never did anyone any harm did it? Sounds like Bushie logic.

[ceethomas]

posted by sbbm
You actually blame Bush for this mess? And you call the ''''crazed GOP'''' insane...gee-zuz...you guys blame everyone except who SHOULD be blamed...but, hey! that makes it easy - glad we have our own cattle...(another rich republican white man conspiracy...grow our own food and ''''poison'''' the libs) grow up.

You just don''t have a clue, do you. Okay braniac, who should be blamed? The meatpacker? Why, because he has our backs and will make sure we have safe food? The toy companies? Why, because they "profess" safety above all else? The only one who needs to grow up around here is you. Possibly your brain maxed out its full growth potential. Or has being led around by the nose for the past 8 years shrunk what little gray matter existed? Think on, think on pal, and start using some common sense.

Suggestion,: If you don''t like people questioning and ranting on about what bushie has done to our country, go somewhere else and live.