Slaughterhouse Health Violations Go Unpunished

A recent report from the US Department of Agriculture found that federal regulations are highly ineffective in preventing pig slaughterhouses from violating health codes due to a lack of reprisal from authorities. According to federal records, 616 hog plants were collectively issued 44,128 citations or violations known as noncompliance records, but only 28 of the plants faced suspensions. One of the repeat offenders was a South Carolina plant that killed nearly 2,700 pigs per day and incurred 43 noncompliance records for having bugs such as cockroaches on the killing floor. The report also noted that some plant inspectors did not adequately examine the meat, which hindered the inspectors’ ability to determine what meat could be sold to the public.