CRIMES WITHOUT CONSEQUENCES - gpvec

Crimes Without ConsequenCes
were informed of the noncompliance only through hearing a commotion or loud noise,
such as an animal bellowing, in a particular area of the plant, and in the absence of such
a signal would not have been aware of the incident.
All this suggests that humane noncompliances occur regularly, but are not observed
by inspection personnel. Animal advocates have long argued that inspectors should
be permanently stationed in those areas of the plants where humane handling and
slaughter violations occur. It is particularly crucial that inspection personnel be present
in the stunning area to ensure that animals are properly rendered unconscious prior to
shackling, hoisting, bleeding and cutting. 161
The FSIS estimates that its national workforce of 7,600 inspectors spent a total of only
132,405 hours, or the equivalent of 63 full-time positions, on humane handling and
slaughter activities in fiscal year 2003. 162 This equates to less than an hour for every
Table 17. Federal Humane Slaughter vs.
Food Safety Enforcement Actions
October 1, 2002 to March 31, 2004
Action All Food Inspection Humane Slaughter Humane % of All
NR a 197,847 c 432 d 0.22
NOIE b 447 c 3 c 0.67
Suspension 180 c 13 c 7.22
Notes
a Noncompliance Record.
b Notice of Intended Enforcement.
c Source of data is FSIS Quarterly Enforcement Reports for time period October 1, 2002 through March 31,
2004. (http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations_&_policies/Quarterly_Enforcement_Reports/index.asp)
d Source of data is NRs released by FSIS in response to FOIA request for all NR citing humane handling/
slaughter violations for time period October 1, 2002 through March 31, 2004. It is likely that the actual
number of NR written for humane slaughter during this period was significantly higher than the number of
records released.
slaughter law. U.S. GAO, Humane Methods of Slaughter Act: USDA has addressed some problems but still
faces enforcement challenges, GAO-04-247, January 2004, p. 15.
161 In 2001, HFA, joined by AWI and other animal advocacy groups and the National Joint Council of Food
Inspection Locals, filed a rulemaking petition seeking that the USDA station inspection personnel, on a fulltime
basis, at critical points in the handling and slaughter process, including in unloading/handling areas and
stunning/bleeding areas. The USDA failed to propose regulations suggested by the petition. See information
about the petition on the HFA website at http://www.hfa.org.
162 GAO report, p. 27.
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