Last week, Chris Jenkins, who did not name his company or town, became the first person to ask the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service to “take down” Animal Partisan Petition 23-07.
“I believe these requirements will only add further confusion to an industry that is riddled with gray areas and misconceptions because of these requirements,” Jenkins wrote.
Animal Partisan, one of the nation’s many animal activist groups, petitioned FSIS last September to issue a notice stating:
1) State officials are not categorically prevented from enforcing state cruelty laws by the federal Meat Inspection Act, Humane Slaughter Act, or Poultry Product Inspection Act.
2) FSIS personnel should work collaboratively with state government officials to enforce state anti-cruelty laws and improve the clarity and frequency of communication with those officials;
But Jenkins points out that FSIS regulations already exist aimed at state-federal cooperation in meat and poultry processing.
“We feel there is already enough transparency,” he added. “Additional notices and instructions may cause further confusion and misunderstanding.”
This petition has been pending since it was filed on September 2, 2023. The main text requires FSIS to publish a notice clarifying that federal law does not necessarily prevent state officials from filing animal cruelty charges when livestock are abused in slaughterhouses. .
The Animal Welfare Association submitted comments in support of the petition before Mr. Jenkins. He said the Animal Party’s petition “is a simple request and would require relatively little institutional involvement.” However, it has the potential to significantly improve animal welfare at the slaughter site. ”
Petition 23-07 is under review with the FSIS Office of Policy and Program Development.
Meanwhile, another animal activist group, the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), supports an Environmental Working Group (EWG) petition to ban the use of “climate friendly” and similar claims on beef and beef products. submitted a comment.
Alternatively, it could require independent third-party verification of such claims and disclosure of carbon numbers if such claims are made on the packaging of beef products.
In petition 23-04, EWG asks FSIS to:
● Prohibits the “low carbon beef” claim recently approved by the Department of Agriculture.
● Similar carbon claims require third-party verification.
● If such a claim is made, we will require disclosure of the carbon value on the pack.
ALDF comments span 154 pages.
(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here. )