Congress quietly lifted a 5-year-old ban on funding horse meat inspections, and activists say slaughterhouses could be up and running in as little as a month.
A study by New England agricultural officials found that many consumers in the area are not willing to pay a premium on locally raised beef like they are for fruits and vegetables.
After several years of drought, Hawaii’s ranchers are still recovering but are looking to keep more beef production in the islands. According to local ranchers, 80 percent of the state’s calves are shipped to pastures on the mainland.
One in four Americans is worried about having enough money to put food on the table in the next year, according to a national hunger survey by Hart Research Associates, commissioned last month by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) and Tyson Foods Inc. Another key finding is that many Americans are unaware of how serious hunger is in their own communities.
While writing about humane animal handling in this month’s issue, I was trying to think of another industry where the actions of one company reflected badly on the whole industry.
Slaughterhouses have seen their fair share of technological advancements the last 20 years, with many implemented after the Jack in the Box outbreak of 1993 and subsequent 1994 Hazard Analysis
A recent report by the New York Times pointed out the decline in the number of slaughterhouses in the country - there were 908 slaughterhouses in 2008, down from 1,211 in 1992 - and the affect it has had on the farming community.
