Feb 22 2008
By: Leticia
So there I was yesterday, sitting in my World Agriculture and Food Problems class yesterday, and the teacher brought up for discussion the recent news about the beef recall of 143 million pounds of beef stemming from the findings of Humane Society of the United States undercover video. Well, after hearing a few of my class mates’ pledges to never eat beef again, I raised my hand to give them our side of the story.
As a person who is deeply rooted in the agriculture industry, I assure you that our primary concern is the well being of our animals. At a young age, my parents instilled in me a love and respect for the animals that we raise. Ultimately, I know that we are producing a product for you, the consumer. The process to deliver you high quality American beef requires several steps and people. It is a team effort, and everyone should be and IS held accountable for the actions they take in the process. Although it is very sickening to see even one case of abuse and cruelty, I ask you, do you think that this was the only video made by the HSUS? Probably not. So how many videos of packing plants that are following the regulations do you think they made to catch this one incident? I urge you not to lose hope or faith in the American beef industry. For hundreds of years we have worked to deliver you a high quality product that is backed by our guarantee of safety. The actions of the Hallmark/Westland Meat Company are very isolated. When I look back at this previous week to see what happened, I can release a sigh of relief to know that the USDA has worked hard and proven itself once again as an organization that is dedicated to food safety. They were efficient and diligent when they were called in to clean up a very dirty mess.
So, when you go home tonight, be assured that the beef you serve your family is just as safe today as it ever has been. The men and women who work to deliver you safe, wholesome products from pasture to plate work to serve you.
As a beef producer and fellow ambassador who was sickened over the recent video and recall, I can honestly say that my partner in crime could not be more right in what she has said… Many times the only thing we ever hear about or getz recognized for is the bad things. Although this was a terrible incident, it was isolated. I know as a producer we do genuinely care about our animals-they are our life and livelihood and we will not stand behind the actions that have taken place at this plant. It is not right or the way the beef industry operates. We work everyday to not only care for our cattle but our consumers, to provide you with the highest quality, safest beef possible. Right on Teish!!!
Teish you couldn’t be more right on here. What consumers need to know is that this incidencent is not ok and we do everything we possibly can to deliver a safe healthy product all while devoting our lives to the care of these animals because they are our life and liveihood.
As a beef producer I was appalled when viewing the video footage released by HSUS. The one thing that continues to puzzle me however is, if the HSUS is all about animal welfare why didn’t the person who was videoing taping the process contact an on-site inspector immediately to put a stop to this mishandling of animals. How could you in good conscious wait 4 months to release the video with the possibility of the mistreatment continuing. It really makes me wonder if HSUS really cares about the animals or more about their own personal agenda???
I hear what you are saying about people buying into the terribly inaccurate image of the beef industry portrayed by the HSUS/Hallmark video. In one of my animal science classes where we have a large proportion of people who want to be small animal vets and have no concept of animal agriculture, we discussed the recall. Many of these students had very little understanding of the beef industry and were starting to view that miserable mistreatment as the norm. THESE ARE STUDENTS IN THE COLLEGE OF AG! If they are so easily led astray by these isolated images, how much more easily will the general public be fooled? As producers we NEED to make sure our voices are heard and that the messages like those posted by Caitlin and Carol reach as many people as possible.
Your comments are so true. We need to continue informing the public concerning the real story. We are caretakers and concerned with the welfare of our animals.
I am very proud of the Ambassador program and the voices that can be heard through you all. Thank you for standing up for the beef industry. Continue the great work. Spread the positive word of the beef industry!
Afraid there’s a bit more bad news:
http://www.awionline.org/pubs/Quarterly/04-53-2/532p4.htm