Printable View
No really they are! The Conservative Government wants to allow the carcasses of already dead animals to be processed in slaughterhouses for human consumption. WTF? If they are looking to hurt the food industry this is a GREAT way to do it because they'll turn a lot of people into vegetarians, myself included! There are regulations set in place for a reason and this is just disgusting.
Article here
They aren't talking about diseased animals or those who died of natural causes. Rather those that are injured or agressive making transportation to the slaughter facilities dangerous. We're not talking road-kill here.Quote:
Originally Posted by TaraF
Quote:
It is proposed to amend the (meat inspection regulations) to allow into registered establishments carcasses from food animals slaughtered elsewhere . . . following a detailed ante-mortem examination by a private veterinary practitioner,” the proposed rules state.
“Such an amendment would be extremely useful for industry in a number of situations, such as when injured animals cannot be transported alive for welfare reasons; or when animals are dangerous, aggressive or difficult to handle and cannot be transported.”
A vet would have to inspect an animal prior to slaughter to confirm it could not be safely transported, as well as determine if the animal is fit to serve as food. The vet will also certify the date of the slaughter and method.
First, I read the article and I understand what it says but thanks for pointing it out again:) The problem is as I stated, rules are here for a reason but we all know what the Harper Government thinks of rules to start with. Second, just because it's said those will be the only carcasses included, I don't buy it. As well, how many times are animals inspected and said to have died of one thing when they died of another? Back to the main point though, as Malcolm Allen raised in the article: It risks the food chain being contaminated by dead stock." also considering the Cons budget is loosening Inspection guidelines for food, I wouldn't buy another piece of meat if they allow this.
Might I add in registered slaughterhouses certain practices have to be followed and obviously we don't know if those are being followed by already dead carcasses coming in. There is this little thing called "humane killing" and how do we know that's taking place if it isn't being regulated? It's disgusting on many levels but not surprising.
Is it humane to transport an injured and suffering animal, in pain (say a cow with a broken leg) to a slaughterhouse so it can be 'humanely' killed?Quote:
Originally Posted by TaraF
At least it is being killed in a regulated place that you know is a clean facility for it to be killed in. I'm sorry but I don't want someone killing a cow in a field and dragging it across the grass to pick anything up to be loaded into a truck. Again, regulations are in place for a reason.Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveP
Not a big fan of caribou meat, I'm guessing. :biggrin:Quote:
Originally Posted by TaraF
It's great that they want to allow the flexibility for smaller and medium-sized businesses - great for those entrepreneurs to grow their capacity and types of products.
Oh, and it might save Canadian taxpayers some money - while still keeping safety at the fore.
This has better explanations of what is intended, and why
http://gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2012/2.../reg1-eng.html
Mmm, now I'm going to go have me some deer sausage! :)
*drool*Quote:
Originally Posted by Natalka
Dave, you are such a nut! I almost spit my drink out when I read that! lolQuote:
Originally Posted by DaveP
I don't see why they can't use those animals for other purposes. . such as dog food. . or feeding murderers in prison . . .:biggrin:
We have a great local butcher who does game meat, so we do splurge once in a while!Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveP
So lucky. About 10 years back when I lived in Northern Quebec, the butcher at my workplace did caribou sausages (mixed with pork, I think, because caribou is very lean). So delicious!Quote:
Originally Posted by Natalka
Glad we're becoming vegetarian lol
although not because I am against eating meat just for health reasons lol
Today I heard an interview with a vet, explaining this on a more 'practical' level. Let's say a cow dies on a farm - a vet will inspect it there, go through its history (vaccinations, etc.) to make sure it's okay to enter the food system, it will be taken to the plant, where it will once again be inspected.
Apparently there aren't that many, percentage-wise, federally approved facilities, there are also many more provincial ones, which follow the federal guidelines. Part of the amended legislation is to get the provincial and federal in synch which will, in fact, allow MORE animals to be inspected, now fewer.
I just don't regularly eat meat (with the exception of fish), so the changing regulations have little effect on me. My DH and I watched Food, Inc. a few months back. I was sad to see the conditions, but not too surprised; DH was outraged and disgusted by the conditions. After that he and I decided to try to only buy meat when we can afford to get it from local butchers that source the meat locally, so that it is only a special treat reserved for weekend BBQs or a special dinner. Otherwise, we will go without.
Lately though, we've been having some fabulous meals thanks to DH's dad: he gave us his share of venison from his hunting trip last fall (all frozen in little butcher-wrapped packets) as his wife won't "eat Bambi".... their loss!! ;) We've had venison steaks, venison burgers, and are planning on doing a small venison roast in the upcoming weeks. I love game meat, and it tastes so much better when it lived wild (wild venison has a cedary flavour as opposed to the relative beef-ish taste of farmed deer) that frankly everything else is second-best to me!
I don't agree with this because all you need is one "slip up" and a vet becoming slack on their duties and someone or a group of people getting sick and dying. It is bound to happen. But hey.. who cares I guess..
I don`t see how that`s any different than what could happen at the processing facility. The inspectors there could get slack on their duties and have a slip up just as easily.Quote:
Originally Posted by Snow Queen
? ? ?Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveP
Under current regulations they couldn't use dead product, so it wouldn't make a difference. At slaughterhouses they aren't doing autopsies to see what an animal died from as they always died in their care.
Also another thing I noticed in the article is it only states that they will document the time of slaughter. So what if the animal died a week prior to slaughter? How do people know they aren't consuming (quite literally) flesh that has been rotting for weeks.
Read the article again. The vet examines the animal PRIOR to slaughter. I bolded that part in the second post in this thread.Quote:
Originally Posted by Snow Queen
Yes, and my comment was in reference to what I quoted of you.Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveP
I`m really not following you. the animal is alive when examined by the vet. That isn`t any different from a living animal being inspected at a processing facility.Quote:
Originally Posted by Snow Queen
Please explain, we seem to be having a communication difficulty of some sort.
.
I don't have the energy to point out why this is wrong.
.
Regarding all the scaremongering from the NDP - the crap about roadkill, etc.
Tim O’Connor, a spokesperson for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, said that is untrue.
“Dead stock is not allowed for human consumption,” he said.
He said right now the federal rules are black and white: under no circumstance can an animal designated for human consumption be slaughtered outside of a registered facility.
With the proposed rule changes, O’Connor said there could be a possibility for rare cases where an animal could be slaughtered on farm; for example, if a steer broke its leg or was too aggressive to be safely transferred.
“It would only be under very limited circumstances,” said O’Connor.
Since losing the steer would be a financial hit to the rancher, they could seek approval from CFIA for euthanizing the animal at their location.
They would need an inspection by a veterinarian to verify the animal is safe for human consumption before it is euthanized. The vet would also certify the date and method.
Then the rancher would have to document their techniques, which would have to fall in line with humane treatment and the Health of Animals Act requirements, before transferring the meat to a processing plant within a required time frame where it would be inspected again.
...
“The NDP know full well, despite their outrageous rhetoric, that this proposal will not reduce food safety in any way,” said Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz in a statement.
“Only live animals that are inspected and safe for human consumption but cannot be transported safely and humanely would be eligible for on-farm slaughter and then transported to a federal processing facility.”
John Masswohl, director of government and international relations at Canadian Cattlemen's Association, said the proposed rule change is a win-win situation for the better treatment of the animals.
He said it's better to euthanize an injured animal on a farm and then transport it.
"Right now, the farmer could only choose to transport it or euthanize and dispose of it," Masswohl said.
He also said diseased or dead animals would not be considered.
"I don't know where [the NDP] are coming from, or what regulations they read," said Masswohl.
http://www.cbc.ca/m/touch/canada/sto...-proposed.html
How is it examined when alive though when they can come in already dead? What if the animal is dead at the farm and loaded up then brought into slaughterhouse?Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveP
“Now you can bring in dead stock. It’s okay to bring in that animal into a slaughterhouse, have it cut, wrapped . . . for human consumption.
It CAN"T be. That's the whole point. It HAS to be examined when still alive. It is examined at the farm while still alive. This has already been said a half dozen times in this thread, including in the link that TaraF herself posted in the OP. It has to be examined when still alive at the farm, then killed, then transported to the processing facilty.Quote:
Originally Posted by Snow Queen
Also, as stated above in the quotes I left - it will be RARE instances where this will be done.
I don't eat a ton of meat either, especially store bought. I just don't care for the taste of most meats. I do eat venison and sometimes moose depending on what it is. I'm not a fan of steaks, sausages or things like that but if it's ground or in burger form I will more than likely eat it and not complain. The only thing store bought I like is chicken bacon mmmmm. I think that would be the only thing I would ever miss if I were to stop buying meat prepackaged from a store.Quote:
Originally Posted by glowworm2k
I love seafood though so I definitely have that most often, otherwise I get my protein from other food sources.
That said, I don't fully get the new rules on slaughter, but it doesn't sound like they are going to being shoveling road kill up off the road to feed to us like the first article I read on it implied.
I'm with you on the seafood, mmmm. Chicken bacon? I've never heard of that. Turkey bacon, yes. I'll have to look for it when I go grocery shopping tomorrow and give it a try. :-)Quote:
Originally Posted by roseofblack25