Editorial: Helping an industry prevent a nightmare
USDA closes loophole on processing downer cows.
It was a YouTube moment capable of converting backyard barbecue enthusiasts into vegetarians: “Downer cows” — those too sick or injured to move — being shocked, sprayed with high-pressure hoses and forklifted to get them on their feet to be slaughtered at the Westland/Hallmark Meat Co. in Chino, Calif. The undercover video, taken by a Humane Society member who got a job with the meat company, created a media maelstrom and resulted in the biggest beef recall ever, criminal charges against some of the workers and the shutdown of the plant.
