On January 25, Farm Sanctuary, the nation's leading farm animal shelter and advocacy organization, announced its support of the Downed Animal and Food Safety Protection Act (HR 661), introduced by U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY) with 74 original co-sponsors. This act would amend the Humane Methods of Livestock Slaughter Act of 1958 to prohibit downed animals from becoming part of the human food supply. Senator Daniel Akaka (D-HI) is introducing similar legislation in the U.S. Senate.
Downed animals can pose serious health threats. A Swiss study found that non-ambulatory cattle are 49 to 58 times more likely have "Mad Cow Disease," or Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE). Several cases of BSE identified in North America have involved downed animals.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture implemented a temporary ban on processing downed cattle for the human food supply after the first case of BSE in 2003. The bill introduced today would make that temporary measure permanent. It would also cover sheep, swine, goats, horses and mules, and call for immediate, humane euthanasia as soon as an animal becomes non-ambulatory.
"Without federal legislation, there's really no impetus for the meat industry to take animal-and human-welfare into consideration when marketing and slaughtering downed animals for food," said Gene Baur, president of Farm Sanctuary. "We enthusiastically support this legislation, and hope that much-needed regulation will help curb the horrific toll taken by a tainted food supply."
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