USDA recalls 143 million pounds of beef

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Yesterday, the USDA issued the largest recall of beef in U.S. history, the latest action in response to The Humane Society of the United States’ groundbreaking undercover investigation of a dairy cow slaughter plant in Southern California.

The recall of 143 million pounds of beef came two days after San Bernardino County District Attorney Michael Ramos filed criminal charges against slaughter plant workers caught on video torturing crippled cattle, and two weeks after USDA shut down that slaughter plant.

The recall and cruelty charges show that the public will not stand for such abuses of farm animals, nor for the health risks that come with using "downed" cows for food. But the outrage has not yet prompted a change in federal policies related to the inhumane handling of downer cows and other farm animals.

So today, please take the next step and ask your legislators to co-sponsor the Downed Animal and Food Safety Protection Act, which would ban any slaughtering of downed animals for human consumption.

The response to the investigation has been felt across the nation -- and millions of people have now witnessed the animal abuse that our undercover investigator so bravely documented. While the exposure is important, the long term goal is for the federal government to step up and meet its responsibility to ensure both food safety and animal welfare. A recall of this staggering scale proves that it's past time for Congress and the USDA to strengthen our laws for the sake of people and animals.