The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is proposing a new regulation that would ban the slaughter of non-ambulatory cattle.
The rule would amend federal meat inspection regulations to instruct the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to ban from slaughter all cattle that become non-ambulatory at any point during the slaughter process. This would remove a provision in the existing regulation that allows for case-by-case re-inspection and approval for slaughter of cattle that become non-ambulatory following the initial ante-mortem inspection.
Under the proposed regulation, establishments will be required to notify FSIS personnel when cattle become disabled after passing ante-mortem inspection. Non-ambulatory cattle would then be condemned and properly disposed of.
Comments on the proposed rule, which must be received by Sept. 29, can be e-mailed to fsis.regulationscomments@fsis.usda.gov or submitted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. All comments must reference the Food Safety and Inspection Service and include the docket number FSIS-2008-0022.
[Ed. Note: Similar bans have been discussed for swine as well. AASV, NPB & NPPC have not supported such a broad ban on ?non-ambulatory? swine arguing that hogs often become fatigued during transport and will fully recover if given a period of rest. The ban on the slaughter of non-ambulatory cattle is, in part, the result of concerns regarding the possibility that these animals may be infected with Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE). To date, no transmissible spongiform encephalopathies have been identified in swine. Therefore, fatigued hogs pose no risk to the human food supply. They should be handled humanely, allowed to recover and, following re-inspection, enter the slaughter channels without additional restriction.]
Source: