AgriProcessors: USDA Mandates "One Minor Addition" To Slaughter Process

The Waukon Standard reports on PETA's call for criminal prosecution against AgriProcessors:

In a statement from Mike Thomas, spokesman for Agriprocessors, he explains that Agriprocessors has always strictly followed the federal and Jewish laws, and they treat their animals humanely as a matter of religious principle. "PETA has based its attack on Agriprocessors on a video tape of fewer than one half of one percent of the 18,000 cows that were processed at Agriprocessors during the period they claim to have been at our plant," Thomas explains. He also adds that independent authorities have confirmed that Agriprocessors is humane and follows federal and religious laws. Thomas sited that the USDA is present at the plant every day they operate, and additional visits have been made by the USDA three times since PETA began their campaign. The USDA asked Agriprocessors to make "one minor addition" to their slaughter process, and it was "immediately implemented."

You can read it all here.

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=13683825&BRD=1829&PAG=461&dept_id=107431&rfi=6
01/05/2005
PETA asks county attorney to charge Agriprocessors, Inc.
by Brianne Grimstad

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals spokesman Ben Goldsmith is interviewed by reporters last Tuesday, Dec. 28, in front of the Allamakee County courthouse. PETA spent part of the day picketing on the courthouse steps hoping to persuade Allamakee County Attorney Bill Shafer to prosecute Agriprocessors, Inc. of Postville for animal abuse and neglect.

The controversy over the slaughter methods used by the Agriprocessors Postville plant found its way to the front steps of the Allamakee County Courthouse in Waukon Tuesday, Dec. 28. Four representatives from the Norfolk, Va., based group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) were present to ask county attorney William Shafer to press charges against Agriprocessors for violating animal cruelty laws.

The PETA members held signs with slogans like "Rubashkin's Cruelty is Not Kosher" and "Prosecute Agriprocessors", while showing footage videotaped over the course of seven weeks at the plant by an undercover investigator hired by PETA. According to PETA, the private investigator was assigned to work in areas other than the kill floor, and this footage was taped over five days (throughout that period) that the informant was allowed to view kill floor practices. The footage showed the slaughtering of animals using kosher methods. When done properly, kosher slaughter is humane. In the video, cattle were put into a revolving pen and turned 180 degrees onto their backs. The throat of the animal is then sprayed off and cut with a knife by an observant Jewish person. It also showed what appeared to be plant workers pulling out the trachea of the slaughtered animal before the pen rotated around and dumped the animal onto the floor. The group also claims to have footage of chicken and turkeys suffering abuses as well. "This is some of the worst cruelty I have ever seen," Benjamin Goldsmith, PETA campaign coordinator, explains. Agriprocessors is the world's largest producer of glatt kosher meat, and the production must adhere to the strictest, highest kosher standards.

PETA has been accused of being anti-Semitic about their investigation. In response to these allegations, Zachary Johnson, a PETA member from Cedar Rapids, said "We are not anti-Semitic, we are just against unnecessary torture of animals."

In a statement from Mike Thomas, spokesman for Agriprocessors, he explains that Agriprocessors has always strictly followed the federal and Jewish laws, and they treat their animals humanely as a matter of religious principle. "PETA has based its attack on Agriprocessors on a video tape of fewer than one half of one percent of the 18,000 cows that were processed at Agriprocessors during the period they claim to have been at our plant," Thomas explains. He also adds that independent authorities have confirmed that Agriprocessors is humane and follows federal and religious laws. Thomas sited that the USDA is present at the plant every day they operate, and additional visits have been made by the USDA three times since PETA began their campaign. The USDA asked Agriprocessors to make "one minor addition" to their slaughter process, and it was "immediately implemented."

A coalition of America's leading rabbinic authorities have also stated that the plant is humane. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Patty Judge has visited Agriprocessors, at PETA's request, and she also found the plant was safe, sanitary, and humane. "Organizations like PETA have manipulated the governments of a few other countries to stop the religious practice of kosher slaughter," Thomas said, "In America, however, we don't let government or political organizations tell people how to practice their faiths. Agriprocessors will continue to cooperate with its regulators and will continue (to) uphold principles it hold in common with the vast majority of Iowans and all Americans: the humane treatment of animals and right of religious freedom."

Through their campaign, PETA is hoping they will be able to persuade Agriprocessors to change some of the devices and methods that they use to slaughter. "We would like to see them stop using the 180 degree pen and switch to a 90 degree pen that would hold the animals upright until they are dead." Goldsmith explains, adding that they would also like Agriprocessors to stop using electric prods on the animal's face, stop ripping out the trachea of the animals being slaughtered, and agree to unannounced audits.

According to Thomas, the recumbent box (which rotates the animals onto their backs) is required as a part of kosher meat preparation and is preferred by the Chief Rabbinate in Israel and the rabbinic authorities who oversee the slaughter at the Postville plant. Though it is not a widely used device in the United States, the European Union considers it to be humane.

So, what brings a national organization like PETA to the steps of the ounty courthouse? "We are here at the suggestion of the Iowa Secretary of Agriculture," stated Goldsmith. According to Goldsmith, Judge said that Agriproccessors is out of her jurisdiction and that charges would have to be filed by the county attorney. In a complaint sent to Allamakee County Attorney William Shafer, PETA is asking Shafer to prosecute Agriprocessors for violations of Iowa state codes that prohibit the abuse and neglect of livestock. Shafer was out of the office when the complaint was delivered, but Goldsmith stated "We look forward to working with him on this." Goldsmith also said that PETA is simultaneously working with Judge, and they are working with the USDA to bring federal charges against the plant.

When reached for a comment, Shafer stated he will follow the standard procedures involved in reviewing a complaint. "If further investigation is needed, we will have the situation investigated by the appropriate law enforcement agencies," he explained.

©Waukon Standard 2005

Comments

[Camp Runamok]

Yep, just as I predicted earlier. The man in the blue parka is sporting leather shoes and belt.

[jr]

Yes, he is. So what? Is it too much to ask that the beasts who provide the skin he is wearing be slaughtered mercifully?

[Camp Runamok]

JR,

You missed the point entirely. The PETA folks eschew any and all use of animal products. Period. Go look up their front page at peta.org. That would certainly include leather shoes and belts. Apparently, that Man in Blue did not get the memo.

Slaughtering animals for any purpose, no matter how "mercifully" done, is an act of cruelty. Don't kid yourself otherwise. That this fellow partakes of that industry while participating in an organization opposed to it is laughable.

[Shmarya]

How do you know the shoes and belt are leather? Couldn't they be made of *imitation* leather, much of which is now so good that it is impossible to tell the difference between it and real leather without a very close examination?

Just curious.

[Camp Runamok]

The picture is from the PETA demonstration held on Dec 28 per the article you linked. It was there that Ben Goldsmith was interviewed (first paragraph).

Now, backtrack to this article reporting on the demonstration as it happened.
http://www.kwwl.com/Global/story.asp?S=2741619
There is this quote that I referenced before;

'Tim Rooney watched the protest and says, "when you're in Northeast Iowa, dealing with people who have gone deer hunting and have dressed out their own cattle and killed their own chickens, you're going to have a lot of difficulty finding grassroots support in killing animals for food. Especially when you have on a leather belt and shoes behind your sign."'

Since only "a few" showed up for the protest it is quite likely that Mr. Rooney was referring to someone in the picture in today's article. Judging from the light beige color of Mr. "Blue"'s boots I am inclined to guess those are his brand new Timberlands or somesuch.

Feel free to disagree if you wish. My point about laughable juxtaposition seems pretty reasonable.

[Shmarya]

Exactly how could a passer-by tell if the boots and belt were leather or synthetic? There's no way to tell from that far away.

[Isa]

30 years ago there was imitation leather that was quite good. Now the Chinese make use of imitation leather in shoe production- how else to explain $20.00 shoes.

[joe]

I like leather, besides if you don't wear it then the cow died for nothing and thats a shame.

[andy lavin]

The Forward jewish newspaper has an aticle on the Israel OU and its reluctance to address the shackle and hoist method of kosher animal slaughter in South America, where it gets much of its kosher. There's a new PETA tape that shows the animals being hung upside down. This is no longer done in the U.S.