December 5, 2001
		Farm Sanctuary Files Lawsuit Against USDA Farm animal advocate organization Farm Sanctuary has filed a lawsuit against the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to prohibit downed animals from being processed for human consumption. The suit includes plaintiff Michaul Baur, a professor at Fordham University. In addition to objecting to the cruel treatment of these animals, Farm Sanctuary officials assert that downed animals pose a serious threat to human health when funneled into the food supply. "The human health risks associated with the consumption of downed animals could be devastating, but the inhumane treatment of these animals is inexcusable," said Gene Bauston, Farm Sanctuary co-founder and director. "Animals that are too sick to stand commonly lie for hours or days without food, water, or veterinary care, and they often die of neglect. Downed animals that survive are dragged onto trucks with chains or pushed with tractors and forklifts to slaughter. That kind of cruelty has no place in a civilized country." The lawsuit also alleges that diseases such as anthrax could be spread from animals to humans if meat from infected animals is not properly cooked before consumption. According to the lawsuit, although downed animals are not routinely tested for bacterial disease prior to slaughter, meat from downed animals carries a greater risk for bacterial contamination. USDA officials said that regulations allow for meat from downers to be sold for human consumption. The plaintiffs, however, said that the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetics Act prohibits the introduction of any food that "is in whole or in part, the product of a diseased animal" into the food supply. According to Bauston, USDA regulations under the Federal Meat Inspection Act define a "diseased" animal as one that cannot walk normally or stand. Farm Sanctuary officials say that although downed cattle are subject to veterinary inspection prior to slaughter according to USDA guidelines, the inspections are insufficient, and downed cattle are typically approved for slaughter because of overwhelming inspection demands.