Downers
Video and massive beef recall reveal cost of stinting on food safety and basic humanity

The recall was prompted by a stomach-churning video filmed at a California slaughterhouse showing workers tormenting sick beef cows, known as "downers."

The workers beat, dragged and jabbed the animals' eyes, hoping pain would make them stagger to their feet. They sprayed a powerful water hose into one sick cow's nose.

Their motive? A cow that can't stand up is a cow that won't make money. Federal law discourages turning cows that can't walk or stand into food. Such symptoms mean a higher chance of contamination from feces. They might be a sign of mad cow disease.

The California abattoir where this savagery occurred was cited in 2005 for animal cruelty. But what made the case most shocking is the fact it probably isn't unique.

According to the worker for the Humane Society of the United States, who secretly filmed the slaughterhouse abuse, no one there took any care to hide it. Like all meat processing plants, the facility was supervised by federal inspectors.

And because the plant reportedly was chosen randomly, there's little reason to doubt that what happened there has been repeated elsewhere.

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