WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday that it was investigating a Chino-based supplier of meat to the National School Lunch Program after release of a video showing slaughterhouse workers using inhumane and illegal practices on weak and sick cows.
The video, presented by the Humane Society of the United States at a news conference Wednesday morning, showed workers at Hallmark Meat Packing using forklifts to pick up and roll animals too weak to stand and forcing sick or weak cows to stand by shooting high-pressure water sprays into their nostrils or repeatedly shocking them with electricity.
Federal and California laws prohibit the slaughter of "downer" cattle -- those that cannot stand or walk -- for the human food supply, to prevent both animal cruelty and the consumption of meat from unhealthy animals.
Meat processed at Hallmark is distributed by Westland Meat Co., also of Chino. According to the USDA, Westland sold 27 million pounds of frozen meat last year to federal food and nutrition programs, including those that provide school lunches and meals for the poor and elderly. Nearly 8 million pounds of that meat went to programs in California; of that amount, more than 5.7 million pounds was used in the Los Angeles area.
The Humane Society said the hidden-camera video was taken by a person who worked at the plant for six weeks last year as part of an undercover investigation by the group. Within hours of the video's release, the USDA suspended Westland's participation in the food and nutrition programs and placed a hold on all products destined for the programs.
Steve Mendell, president and chief executive officer of both Westland and Hallmark, was meeting Wednesday afternoon with USDA officials and was not available for comment. The company released a statement in his name saying it had "taken immediate action to terminate the two employees and suspend their supervisor pending his explanation."
The USDA inspects animals ready for slaughter at Hallmark in the morning and afternoon. Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society, told the news conference that the abuse took place before the inspector arrived at the slaughterhouse in the morning.
The undercover investigation found workers using "Herculean efforts to get 'downers' into the kill box," Pacelle said.
