Bills are being introduced in Congress to permanently ban "downer" animals from slaughter.
The USDA instituted a temporary ban on the slaughter of downer cattle after diagnosing the first case of BSE in the U.S. in 2003. The Downed Animal and Food Safety Protection Act (HR 661 ), introduced in the U.S. House by Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY) on January 25, would make these restrictions permanent and also include downer sheep, swine, goats, horses and mules. A similar bill is being introduced in the Senate by Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI).
[Ed. Similar legislation has been introduced by Ackerman and Akaka in previous legislative sessions and failed to be enacted. Pork producers opposed the previous legislation based on the fact that all animals are inspected prior to slaughter and approved or rejected for consumption based on those findings. This safeguards against any food safety issues. In addition, it is not uncommon for hogs to be recumbent and lethargic following prolonged transport. Given an adequate rest period, most of these animals fully recover and are suitable for slaughter posing no food safety risk. This legislation does not allow for a recovery period.]