CRIMES WITHOUT CONSEQUENCES - gpvec

overvieW of food animal slaughter in the united states
The number of slaughter plants, both federally and non-federally inspected, has declined
sharply in the past 40 years as a result of the consolidation of the U.S. meat industry (see
Table 7). Numbers of state and custom plants have declined rapidly and consistently
throughout the period, while the number of federal plants increased until the mid-1980s
and then began to drop off.
According to NASS, in 2006:
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14 plants slaughtered 56 percent of U.S. cattle
Five plants slaughtered 54 percent of U.S. calves
10 plants slaughtered 47 percent of U.S. pigs
Four plants slaughtered 68 percent of U.S. sheep and lambs
Table 7. U.S. Livestock Slaughter Plants by Type of Inspection
1967 to 2007
Year Federal Inspection State/Other Inspection Total Plants
1967 585 9,042 9,627
1968 571 8,643 9,214
1969 705 7,853 8,558
1970 726 7,017 7,743
1971 766 5,634 6,400
1972 984 5,172 6,156
1973 1,364 4,627 5,991
1974 1,437 4,410 5,847
1975 1,485 4,602 6,087
1976 1,741 4,514 6,255
1977 1,687 4,440 6,127
1978 1,750 4,434 6,184
1979 1,682 4,404 6,086
1980 1,627 4,320 5,947
1981 1,542 4,340 5,882
1982 1,688 4,048 5,736
1983 1,652 4,037 5,689
16 Ibid, p.1.
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