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| FSIS Issues Notice on Humane Handling Requirements
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Congressional and Public Affairs
(202) 720-9113
Amanda Eamich
WASHINGTON, September 9, 2004 - The U.S. Department
of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), which
vigorously enforces the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (HMSA), today
published a notice encouraging establishments to use a systematic
approach to ensure that they are meeting the requirements of the law
during handling and slaughter.
FSIS recommends establishments identify where and under what circumstances
livestock may experience excitement, discomfort or accidental injury
while being handled in connection with the slaughter process. Also,
establishments are encouraged to design facilities and implement practices
that will minimize discomfort and injury in accordance with existing
regulations. Plants should periodically evaluate their system for
effectiveness and improve or adjust operations accordingly. FSIS believes
implementing these steps will serve to improve product quality and
efficiency as well as enhance worker safety.
In previous years, FSIS has taken substantial and comprehensive action
to ensure the humane treatment and slaughter of animals in establishments.
In 2001, FSIS was able to hire District Veterinary Medical Specialists
to serve as the primary contact for humane handling and slaughter
issues in each district. In 2003, FSIS issued a directive to provide
FSIS inspection personnel additional information on humane handling
verification procedures and to clarify enforcement actions to be taken
for violations.
In February 2004, FSIS implemented the electronic Humane Activities
Tracking program (HAT) to document inspection activities that ensure
livestock are humanely handled in federally inspected facilities.
HAT provides FSIS with more accurate and readily available information
on the activities and time spent by inspection personnel to ensure
humane handling and slaughter requirements are met.
The HMSA requires that humane methods for handling and slaughtering
be used for all meat inspected by FSIS. This statute seeks to prevent
needless suffering and results in safer and better working conditions.
FSIS assigns inspectors to slaughter plants to ensure compliance with
HMSA requirements for humane slaughter and handling methods.
For further information contact Lynn Dickey, Ph.D., Director, Regulations
and Petitions Policy Staff, Office of Policy, Program and Employee
Development, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Cotton Annex Building,
300 12th Street, SW, Room 112, Washington DC, 20250-3700, phone (202)
720-5627. |
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