Hormel & SPAM: USDA Launches Investigation into Minnesota Slaughterhouse

Andrew Poole

17:18 | Thursday, Nov 12, 2015

The footage, whose duration is of 3:41 minutes, has been made public on Wednesday, November 11, by Compassion Over Killing, a nonprofit animal protection organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. There is also a longer, unedited version, lasting several hours, which has been filed with the USDA at the end of October.

Compassion Over Killing claims this induces more inhumane treatment, because workers take "inhumane shortcuts" in the sped-up routine, which isn't always overseen by USDA officials.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has described the actions depicted in the video as "completely unacceptable". "The fact that there aren't USDA inspectors there prevents them from taking immediate action", she said.

Nate Jensen is vice president of human resources at Quality Pork Processors.

The FSIS said the actions in the video may have taken place out of view of federal inspectors, who were on duty at other locations at the plant.

Group releases graphic video, claims animal mistreatment at MN slaughterhouse
QPP, Hormel Foods Respond to Undercover Slaughter Video

Hormel Foods, the popular food company which produces canned precooked meat products known as SPAM, has been relying on the controversial slaughterhouse for half of its raw pork supply.

"If you look at them as a full sequence, with the handling, you will see those animals were handled according to acceptable regulations and policies and our own internal procedures", Jansen said. Jansen said that in this particular case, the meat should have been taken to another line of the production where contamination will not occur. A few animals in the video were moving after that process, said Erica Meier, executive director of Compassion Over Killing.

For example, Mercy For Animals revealed in August that, at a farm which had been supplying Tyson Foods and McDonald's, poultry was being killed by being stabbed and beaten using spiked clubs.

Austin-based Hormel issued a statement saying it has a "zero tolerance policy for the inhumane treatment of animals" and holds its suppliers to the same high standards.

Meier said the video shows the failings of a "HIMP", a pilot safety program under USDA auspices at five pork plants, including the Quality slaughterhouse in Austin. That program has led to more inspections being carried out by company employees.

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