Did Rubashkin Really Pass An FMI/NCCR Humane Slaughter Audit? Maybe not …

According to a highly-placed source in the food industry, the recent Rubashkin animal welfare audit done at Postville was in fact the complete Food Marketing Institute/National Council of Chain Restaurants audit including the section on humane slaughter.

The audit (conducted by a private company) is posted on a web site, where Rubashkin, as the 'owner' of the data can give permission to his customers to view the audit results.  It is up to the customer (i.e., Albertsons, Safeway, etc.) to determine whether the audit meets their buying requirements.

There is no "passing score" for the overall audit, although individual items have acceptable and unacceptable scores.

At this time part of the section on humane slaughter would be inconsistent with the upside-down shechita at AgriProcessors.

Safeway, etc. may ignore the section on humane slaughter – and, for that matter, the rest of the audit, if they so choose.

So, did Rubashkin recently pass an animal welfare audit done according to FMI/NCCR guidelines?

We do not know, and Menachem Lubinsky of Lubicom Marketing and Kosher Today – the source for the news that Rubashkin had passed an FMI/NCCR audit – has proved not to be a trustworthy source. (Google "Lubinsky" in the search box in the left hand column of this page for examples of Mr. Lubinsky's difficulties with accuracy.)

Has Rubashkin really reformed?

Only time – and public release of the entire audit – will tell.