… But what was striking about PETA's criticism of the Postville plant was that it was not part of an overall attack on shehita. Their Web site made a point of noting that "kosher slaughter is more than twice as well-regulated as conventional slaughter and is supposed to be more humane."
The group sought out the expert advice of Temple Grandin, an associate professor of animal science at Colorado State University and a top consultant to the meat industry, who made a point of noting that the practices at Postville were not up to the standard of many other kosher slaughtering-plants she has examined. And PETA made a serious effort in seeking the backing of recognized Orthodox authorities in Halacha (Jewish law) to support its charges against the plant.…
The problem with Postville was neither the nature of shehita itself, nor PETA's charges, but faulty procedures by AgriProcessors and lax supervision by the OU. Hopefully these problems will soon be corrected, and the kosher meat industry will have learned it needs to do a better job of policing itself.…
Read it all here.