The Danger of Increased Slaughterhouse Line-Speeds
Facing pressure from the meat industry, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is taking steps to allow slaughterhouses to operate at faster and faster line speeds. This will result in increased incidences of improper stunning and rougher handling of animals by slaughterhouse employees.
Spare farmed animals this additional suffering – tell your elected officials: Stop the USDA from pulling a fast one!
Featured in
Transcript (English — en-x-autogen)
Animal equality recently filed suit against the USDA in an
effort to push back against the increase
of slaughterhouse line speeds.
This increase would allow facilities to ramp up production
by killing animals at an even faster pace.
Increased line speeds put farmed animals at a greater risk
of cruel treatment and abuse,
and add to the many ways they suffer within the food chain.
When animals are moved quickly through slaughterhouse lines,
they're more likely to receive ineffective, stunning.
This results in animals being killed while still
fully conscious.
For example, increased speeds in chicken
and Turkey slaughterhouses result in rougher handling
of the birds with workers, slamming them into shackles,
breaking their delicate legs and wings,
and improperly stunning
and bleeding them so they are boiled alive.
Some of these acts are violations of federal law,
but enforcement is sorely lacking.
New USDA rules also shift certain responsibilities from
federal inspectors to the slaughterhouses own employees.
This allows the companies to police themselves when it comes
to the welfare of the animals they slaughter.
As line speeds increase, it also becomes more likely
that food safety mandates will be violated.
Food safety inspectors receive limited time per animal
to inspect for signs of disease
that could impact human health
and have less time to implement sanitation measures.
The impact of faster speeds is felt up
and down the supply chain.
More farmed animals will be raised on factory farms
to supply slaughterhouses increased processing capacity.
Crowded living conditions are made even more unbearable
and animals wallow in their own waste
Pollution also increases with expanded animal agriculture,
further contributing to harmful greenhouse gas emissions.
The USDA has ignored warnings from its own office
of Inspector General
who has consistently raised concerns about high
speed slaughter and notes.
Current enforcement policies do not deter repeat violations.
These shortcomings will only worsen when line speeds are
increased and farmed animals will ultimately pay the price.
Please stand with us as we ask our government
to prevent the abuse of these animals
and improve their protections.
Let your voice be heard.
Urge your federal elected officials
to take a stand against increased slaughter speeds.