It has nothing to do with tainted meat. It has everything to do with USDA showing they have the power. Small individuals with great big gold badges.

This practice was an accepted practice from 1908 when USDA meat inspection began until around 2000 when USDA began to enforce humane handling practices, which prohibited slaughter of "downer" animals. A downer is defined as any animal that cannot stand and walk normally.

During my career I supervised the slaughter of literally thousands of "downer" animals . All were subjected to intense inspection before being deemed edible. This included laboratory sampling of the meat before being released for commerce.

I think USDA meat inspection leaders have forgotten just why they were created...I'm really glad I'm retired!!!!!

It wasn't the fact that the meat was from downer cattle. The problem was the treatment of those animals, which was very needlessly cruel. If you go to humanesociety@hsus.org they have a video showing the horrible treatment of the downer cattle. The USDA exists not only to protect people, but also the animals that provide us food and they should be applauded for their efforts in this case! The animals should not have to endure torture before they die!

So we recall tons of meat and that solves the supposed abuse - how? If abuse were actually the issue, the slaughterhouse would simply have been closed. As a previous poster stated, using these downer cattle isn't necessarily unhealthy, and if you take it to its logical conclusion, the meat from less-than-prime animals probably ends up as dog food. In the vast majority of cases, the animals do not suffer needlessly, despite what PETA tells you.

This has nothing to do with abuse, except sensationalizing what is a problem for those people who work this life.

I'm not saying the meat isn't any good from these animals. And I know that in most cases, animals do not suffer needlessly; my degree is in Animal Science and I've studied this. I also eat meat and will continue to do so. But we can't allow abuse of animals - is abuse justified just because the meat could become dog food? Did you look at the Humane Society of the United States and ASPCA sites? I may not be able to convince you, but they do a great job explaining the issues I'm concerned about.

That's the point: abuse is already not allowed. However, no system is perfect. We caught an isolated case and it is being presented as the norm, resulting in hystrionics and cries for "ending the abuse". However, recalling two years of meat has nothing to do with abuse, but rather protecting the behind of the slaughterhouse; rightfully so. Any prudent business would do the same, no matter how senseless, to protect their reputation.

Just how do you move the downer cattel humanely? Beef cattle I belive weight around 1500 or more pounds. It is not some thing you can easily move in a humane way.

You're right; I really don't know how it could be done. But the way they were doing it wasn't right either. It seemed they were deliberately trying to be as cruel as possible. Obviously, I'm looking at this mainly from the animal cruelty point of view, but that view means a lot to many, many people and can't be ignored. There has to be some other way.

This is one situation where killing the animal would be more humane; how much trouble would it be to shoot the animals rather than shove them around with forklifts while they're fully conscious and trying to get away, and spending days in the slaughterhouse yard starving and suffering? I assume slaughterhouses have bullets or their equivalent? THe same implements the kill them with inside?

I for one became a vegetarian this week because of that story. This is the fourth time, maybe this time it'll stick. I just can't be part of that treatment.

I agree tmg.