Illegal to kill dead animals...who would have

I've bolded the funny parts.


Aylmer Meat Packers Inc. is under investigation for "possible offences involving the illegal processing of deadstock" - animals that died before slaughter.

'Deadstock' focus of meat probe
Health ministry memo sheds light on investigation
Illegal to process animals that die before slaughter



RICHARD BRENNAN AND ROBERT CRIBB
STAFF REPORTERS

An Aylmer meat packing plant was shut down by the provincial government because of an investigation into "illegal processing" of dead animals, the Star has learned.

Provincial and federal inspection agencies have not publicly revealed why Aylmer Meat Packers Inc. has been closed and all its beef products have been recalled, as of Monday.

But a memo from the provincial health ministry to all medical officers of health in Ontario, obtained by the Star, said the abattoir's licence has been suspended "as a result of an ongoing investigation related to possible offences involving the illegal processing of deadstock."

"Deadstock" are animals that die before slaughter, either in the field, or in transit, often due to illness.

The provincial Deadstock Disposal Act prohibits the processing or sale of meat from dead animals. The meat is supposed to be used for animal feed, not sold for human consumption.

The memo stated that it was unknown whether any of the "uninspected illegal products (boneless beef) reached the retail level."

The memo was sent to the medical officers of health on Friday, a day after a pre-dawn search of the plant by provincial officials. It was not until about 12:30 a.m. Monday that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the health ministry issued a warning to consumers not to eat the beef or beef products made at the Aylmer plant.

The owners of the plant are Richard (Butch) Clare, and his wife, Elaine Warren. They live in Burford, west of Brantford and were not talking to reporters yesterday. No charges have yet been laid against Aylmer Meat Packers and allegations are yet unproven.

The head of the province's meat inspection system says the recall was triggered by concerns that meat was processed by the plant without the presence of an inspector.

Provincial or federal inspectors in licensed abattoirs must inspect all meat sold in Canada. The inspections are meant to protect consumers from such things as rabies, salmonella, lead poisoning and E. coli.

"Some of the meat products from this plant may not have gone through the full inspection process," said Dr. Tom Baker, director of food inspection with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food. "We felt we wanted to minimize any risk to the public by taking action."

In 2001, provincial auditor Erik Peters criticized the provincial government for the lack of inspection in Ontario slaughterhouses.

The government reduced the number of full-time inspectors to eight from 103. Today, most of the inspectors are part-time.

Baker said the Aylmer plant is a medium-sized facility that has been the subject of particular focus by the ministry because it processes a lot of older animals.

"They do a fair number of the older dairy cattle and older swine that are sort of past their production period. They do deal with a type of livestock that requires a much more intensive inspection regime," he said.

"So we have a lot of inspectors there at that plant and veterinary support and laboratory testing programs and so on because of inherent risks that may be associated with older animals."

Still, he said ministry officials had serious concerns meat from older animals was slaughtered without inspectors being at the plant.

"Uncertainty came to light during the investigation that there may very well be some products may have even left the plant that may have not gone through the full inspection process. It could be a range of livestock that, if it had been subjected to an inspection process, might not have passed it."

Baker said the ministry suspended the licence of the plant late last week and detained the meat so it couldn't be sold, then contacted the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

"They have the legal authority to do a recall. We don't."

Doug Powell, an associate professor and food safety expert at the University of Guelph, said provincial meat plants have a reputation among farmers for processing so-called "deadstock" ?- dead animals ?- and "downed" animals that can no longer stand.

"At provincial plants, they'll sell an animal off to get market price for it before it dies," he said. "With BSE (mad cow disease), there's been a flood in the market for deadstock and downers because no one will take them, sending the price even lower. So that's more profit for those who slaughter them."

Baker wouldn't comment on whether the Aylmer plant was under suspicion of illegally slaughtering dead or downed animals.

But he did say provincial plants are not allowed to process dead animals at all and can only slaughter downed animals if they pass a proper inspection.

"With our inspection system, only the healthy animals are allowed to be slaughtered," he said.

"If an animal were dead, you can't observe its behaviour and a lot of diseases cannot be identified that easily by inspecting a carcass, for instance. They really do require an examination of the animal in a living state to be able to check for a neurological problems or what have you."

Mansel Griffiths, a microbiologist and director of the Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety, said "it's a really bad idea" to slaughter dead animals

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