Monday, April 01, 2013

At least two companies that want to open first U.S. slaughter plants since 2007 seek USDA inspections

Horse slaughter and processing plants could soon be operating again in the U.S. Elizabeth Campbell reports for Bloomberg News that the U.S. Department of Agriculture says several companies have asked that the agency re-establish inspections, which Congress defunded for a few years. The meat could only be sold outside the U.S.

Valley Meat of Roswell, N.M., filed a lawsuit against the USDA in October, alleging it was violating the Federal Meat Inspection Act by failing to offer inspection of horse slaughter, Valley Meat lawyer A. Blair Dunn told Campbell, who reports, "This week, the Justice Department asked for another 60 days to respond to the lawsuit so the USDA can make sure all the components are in compliance in order to issue a grant of inspection."

We noted last week that Oklahoma had passed a bill that would allow horse slaughterhouses in the state, ending a 50-year ban. Gov. Mary Fallin signed the bill Friday. Cynthia Armstrong, the state director of the Oklahoma Humane Society, said, "It's a very sad day for Oklahoma and the welfare of the horses that will be exposed to a facility like this." Tim Talley writes for the Huffington Post, "Although there are no horse slaughtering facilities in Oklahoma, the Humane Society said the USDA has received an application for horse slaughter inspection permits from a meat company in Washington, Okla., about 40 miles south of Oklahoma City."

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