USDA shuts down Vermont meat packing company for abuse of animals

[cali]

Vermont meat plant shut after USDA views footage
Fri Oct 30, 2009 4:41pm EDT

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By Roberta Rampton

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Agriculture Department and the Vermont state agriculture agency said they pulled operating licenses on Friday for a Vermont slaughter plant after viewing footage of mistreated veal calves.

The footage was from the Humane Society of the United States, which said it conducted an undercover investigation at Bushway Packing Inc of Grand Isle, Vermont, in August and September.

The video footage showed veal calves being "kicked, slapped and repeatedly shocked with electric prods and subjected to other mistreatment," the Humane Society said in a release.

A worker who answered the telephone at the plant on Friday said he didn't know anything about the investigation and could not confirm the plant had been shut.

One of the plant's owners, John McCracken, told Reuters he had just found out about the allegations and declined comment.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack called the treatment shown in the video "unequivocally unacceptable" and said USDA would investigate whether employees and an inspector with USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service violated the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act.

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http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE59T4CO20091030