A “downer” in meat industry terms refers to a cow that is diseased or injured and can't stand up. Sound delicious? Some employees at Westland/Hallmark Meat Packing Co. in Chino, CA apparently think so. That's how the Humane Society of the United States caught video footage of sick and injured cows being pushed with forklifts, dragged with chains and poked in the face with cattle prods to help them along to the slaughter box. It violates federal regulations to slaughter “downer” cattle, seeing as they pose a higher risk of E. Coli, salmonella contamination and everyone's favorite cow disease, mad cow disease. Two workers face animal abuse charges, 200 workers have been laid off by the plant, and 143 million pounds of beef are being recalled.
The meat that, by absolutely any means necessary, made it out of Westland/Hallmark, was used by fast food chains and restaurants, in school lunches, and by the pre-packaged food industry in products like Progresso Italian Wedding soup and - most disconcertingly - Nestle's Hot Pockets. How our country will deal with the sudden removal of 49,264 cases of Hot Pockets from the market - known by analysts as Hot Pocket Shock - remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, Westland/Hallmark remains closed as it appears complaints against the plant have been common for over ten years, suggesting that both the plant itself and the USDA workers charged with inspecting it were lax in their work. When confronted with questions about the systemic incidents of inhumane treatment at the plant, a spokesman said, “Think of it this way! Cattle that has fallen and been trampled by other cows on the way to the slaughterhouse are just pre-tenderized. Mmmmmmmm...”
Meat Plant Concerns Raised For Years (USA Today)