Maybelle Limpin

Writing 39C
Professor Andrew HIll
7 August 2017
Advocacy Prospectus
Step 1 - 5 New Sources

Slaughter Inspection 101. Food Safety and Inspection Service. Updated 9 Aug. 2013.

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-

safety-fact-sheets/production-and-inspection/slaughter-inspection-101/slaughter-inspecti

on-101.

Annotated Bibliography:

This article comes straight from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

website that lists the basic standards, process, and post mortem of slaughterhouses.

The lengthy list in this article is to ensure it covers the main aspects concerning

slaughtering.

Billy, Thomas J. A Subject That Affects Everybody. Vital Speeches of the Day, vol. 66, no. 7,

15 Jan. 2000. p. 202. EBSCOhost. Accessed 13 Aug 2017.

http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=2707759&site=ehost-li

ve&scope=site

Notes:
Speech
One days production in a commercial beef slaughter example - Some 2.6 million
pounds of finished product were dispersed to 87 distributors and 40 processors in
34 states and 4 countries. Eighty percent of the one-day's production was
distributed within 2 days -- the entire production within a week.
Use of risk analysis framework to understand the problem - Risk assessment is
the process of assessing the risks related to a specific food or a specific
pathogen. Risk management is the process of using this information to evaluate
options and select strategies to manage those risks. Risk communication is the
process of communicating the risks defined by the risk assessment to the public.
1997 - Presidents Food Safety Initiative - necessary funds for food safety and
established the Interagency Risk Assessment Consortium - advancing the
 science of microbial risk assessment by encouraging research to develop
predictive models and other tools that can be used to conduct risk assessments.
HACCP - Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point - systems that identify and
control hazards. Found in meat and poultry plants and trying to be implemented
to seafood
FSIS - food safety and inspection service, a risk management tool that will try to
reduce pathogens
Annotated Bibliography -

Thomas Billy, an Administrator of the Food and Safety and Inspection Service

and Chair of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, gives a speech on using science to

assist in food safety. He defines risk analysis and its use in the food system. Doing so he

connects the process of risk analysis to identify and control hazards that appear. Billy

lists risk analysis tools such as: the Presidents Food Safety Initiative, FSIS, HACCP,

and Interagency Risk Assessment Consortium. This source coming from someone high

in authority in the millennium provides history of the efforts towards ending pathogens

found in food. He discusses the tools to express how they are now controlling the

hazards related to food. However, the problem of pathogens are still reoccurring,

showing that there needs to be a change.

Grinnell, Margaret, et al. "Outbreak of Salmonella Heidelberg Infections Linked to a Single

Poultry Producer -- 13 States, 2012-2013." MMWR: Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report,

vol. 62, no. 27, 12 July 2013, pp. 553-556. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=89059520&site=ehost-live&

scope=site.

Notes:

MMWR: Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report, 7/12/2013, Vol. 62 Issue
27, p553-556, 4p, 1 Color Photograph, 2 Graphs. Color Photograph; p554

MMWR: Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report, 7/12/2013, Vol. 62 Issue

27, p553-556, 4p, 1 Color Photograph, 2 Graphs. Graph; p555

MMWR: Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report, 7/12/2013, Vol. 62 Issue
27, p553-556, 4p, 1 Color Photograph, 2 Graphs Graph; p556
Oregon Health Authority and Washington State Department of Health discovers
increase in Salmonella Heidelberg through pulse gel electrophoresis which linked
Foster Farms.
CDC, state and local health departments, USDA FSIS, and FDA all involved in
the investigation
134 infected, in 13 states (NW region), 33 hospitalized, no deaths
Interviewed the infected to find source is from chicken and the specific brand of
Foster Farms.
NARMS (National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System aka CDC, FDAs
Center for Veterinary Medicine, USDA together) sourced the outbreak by clinical
isolates (antimicrobial testing) which tested the bacterias resistance.
Found an increase in salmonella isolates between 2002-2011
Article also expresses the need to increase surveillance for prevention
Foster Farms linked to Salmonella in 2004 as well
July 2011 - USDA FSIS requires slaughter facilities affiliated with young chicken
and turkey carcasses to have stricter standards for salmonella.
December 2012 - announcement of requiring to reassess Hazard Analysis and
Critical Control Points if slaughterhouse produces not-ready-to-eat ground or
comminuted poultry products.
Annotated Bibliography:
 This article covers an investigation on the Salmonella outbreak that links to

Foster Farms. By covering the investigation, Margaret Grinnell argues for stricter laws to

prevent food-born illnesses. She supports this by giving a detailed report on the

investigation, specifically how NARMS used isolates through gel electrophoresis to test

the bacterias resistance and match it with patients consumed records, connecting to

Foster Farms. This source will be the specific case that provides evidence of the need to

readdress the standards and rules slaughterhouses use. Also, the images will provide

the multimodal element in showcasing the increase of salmonella throughout the past

decade.

Peter, Eisler. "Veterinarian to Detail Slaughterhouse Breaches." USA Today, 2010..

EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=J0E293523954110&site=eh

ost-live&scope=site.

Notes:
News article
States t hat upper level FSIS management are slightly corrupt by looking the
other way when it comes to breaking the rules of the procedure during an
inspection
Dean Wyatt is a supervisory veterinarian from USDAs FSIS where he had to
overrule other inspectors during slaughterhouse inspections
Wyatt linked the 2008 mad cow disease with Westland/Hallmark slaughterhouse
from downed cattle
Wyatt suspended Bushway Packing (Vt.) in 2008/2009 due to abused animals,
such as downed/dragged calves - violation
Vilsack - Agriculture Secretary, had criminal investigation on Bushway after the
Humane Society filmed workers hitting/using electic pods to move them.
Corruption found in FSIS when Wyatts citations of violations were dismissed in
2007 and 2008, specfically for Seaboard Foods (Oklahoma).
Wyatt says his reports and those of other inspectors were shelved by
regional supervisors without consulting on-site personnel. Instead, he
says, writers of citations were chastised and threatened with transfer.
 Wyatt's experiences "illustrate a pattern that FSIS is broken and must be
fixed," says Amanda Hitt of the Government Accountability Project, a
whistle-blower organization representing Wyatt.
Caught Seaboard for slaughtering, beating and trampling conscious pigs.
Dennis Kucinich, Representative of Ohio, also recognizes FSIS corruption
stating, The new administration must recognize past wrongs and ... ensure the
proper treatment of animals and the safety of our food supply,
Annotated Bibliography:

In this article, USA Today (2010) unfolds some truth about the USDA. They

argue, along with Dean Wyatt, a supervisory veterinarian, and uses his testimony to

prove that there is some corruption found in USDAs FSIS. Wyatt is quoted multiple

times in this source where he states that he has found a multiplicity of violations from

slaughterhouses. Some of these violations were honored and consequences were given,

however most in 2007/2008 went unrecognized. Not only does this article use someone

from FSIS to give a focal point from inside the system, but other agents and

representatives are agreeing to the corruption. This article will then assist in my paper by

acknowledging the need for change in USDAs FSIS in order to fix the internal problems

to create better food production. Also, the need to recruit more like Dean Wyatt.

Ruano-Rossil, Jorge M. "The Unrecognized Role of the FDA Microanalytical Analyst." Military

Medicine, vol. 178, no. 12, Dec. 2013, pp. 1281-1284. EBSCOhost,

doi:10.7205/MILMED-D-13-00267.http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&d

b=a9h&AN=92876568&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Notes:
Generally describes the FDA and its history/background
Microanalytical analyst are necessary in finding filth contaminants (insects,
rodents, parasites, mold, etc.) in food products by chemical and physical
protocols.
Apart of PRLSW, an Office of Regulatory Affairs, is a Mega Laboratory that
analyzes food products microbiologically, chemically, and for filth.
 A Microanalytical Analyst specialize further and more specifically filth analysis
which uses taxonomical classification for identification and connects them to the
Dirty 22
Dirty 22 - 22 pest species that are the most important when connecting to
foodborne diseases and has 5 main characteristics: (1) they cohabit with
humans (synanthrope), (2) they are vectors of serious foodborne diseases in
humans, (3) they are also vectors of diseases in nature (without human
intervention), (4) they affiliate with more than one animal species, and (5) they
exhibit a strong attraction to filthy unsanitary conditions and human food.''
FDA adulteration assessment consists of: (1) physical, chemical, and
microbiological hazards associated with filth and extraneous materials, (2) visible
objectionable contaminants from commensal pests and other insanitary
conditions in food processing and storage facilities, and (3) harmless naturally
occurring defects and contaminants.
Microanalytical Analyst also assists in identifying unsanitary conditions and
inspections by testing the products.
However, their role is unrecognized dues to lack of identity, lack of certification
requirements, training, and research, the belief that anyone can perform this job,
and inadequate management representation.
There has only been one training course for specifically filth analysis and
therefore shows that majority of the training that is offered are for microbiology
and chemistry. Filth analysts would not receive hands on training.
January 2011 - team of microanalytical analysts helped a case with food storage
Annotated Bibliography:

Jorge Ruano-Rossil argues for the recognition of Microanalytical Analysts. He

supports his claim by giving history of the FDA and the focal points of the Microanalytical

Analyst position. This source will assist in providing information on what the FDA lacks.

This position would deem to be necessary in preventing foodborne illnesses in

slaughterhouses during investigations. However his main point declares that they are

unrecognized and underestimated.

Step 2 - Revising HCP Sources

Dorovskikh, Anna, "Killing for a Living: Psychological and Physiological Effects of Alienation

of Food Production on Slaughterhouse Workers" (2015). Undergraduate Honors Theses.

Paper 771.
 Revised Evaluation:

This article held an exceptional amount of information on the physical and

psychological effects on humans inside the system of slaughterhouse workforce. It also

covered the effects on the environment and society as well. This will give a basis of the

effects on humans to support the advocacy movement towards the necessity of control

over slaughterhouses. This control it would push for would lead to an overall prevention

of the main problem in the project.

Fitzgerald, Amy. A Social History of the Slaughterhouse: From Inception to Contemporary

Implications. Human Ecology Review. Vol. 17, No. 1. Society for Human Ecology. 2010.

http://www.humanecologyreview.org/pastissues/her171/Fitzgerald.pdf

Revised Evaluation:

In the HCP, I heavily relied on this source in due to the highly relatable

information I was looking for. However, the majority of the information grasped the

history of slaughterhouses, which is not as needed in the advocacy project. This would

then serve with its latest information on slaughterhouses and Fitzgeralds ideas on how

to move forward with this problem.

Goldes, Jordan. News from Congressman Gary Ackerman 5th District - New York, Queens &

Long Island.

http://www.humanesociety.org/assets/pdfs/farm/ackerman-downer-release-1-30-08.pdf

Revised Evaluation:

Jordan Goldes article on the letters from CongressmanGary Ackerman will serve

its purpose in reiterating the importance of abused cattle leading to foodborne disease

that serve to a majority of the consumers in the United States. This source contains data
 from the Humane Society and will also connect with other sources to then establish a

tone that concludes that multiple sources approach the same common problem.

Wolfson, David. Beyond the Law: Agribusiness and the Systematic Abuse of Animals. Animal

Law. Lewis and Clark Animal Law Review. 1996.

Revised Evaluation:

This source contains information on the history of animal laws. In the HCP, I used

it to see the changes of the laws the the problems during the specified time periods.

However in this upcoming project, I will use this more as a support evidence to link

together with FSIS investigation procedures and violations.

Step 3 - Advocacy Proposal

Over the years, animal abuse has been a pressing problem. Society may only see this

abuse over the media when its found through shelters or in other countries or famous centers

such as Seaworld. However, whats behind the scenes yet plays the large portion in the humans

day to day life is the food on the table, specifically meat and poultry.

Backtracking to the source of the food could relate to the major problem, mistreated

and abused animals in slaughterhouses. Animals that are weak, unhealthy, and are

unpleasantly forced into small areas that are further brutalized before death occur in various

slaughterhouses just below societys nose. This problem not only affects the workers involved

but the consumers as well. Therefore the problem is spread out even further due to mistreated

animals which continue into foodborne illnesses. Also, the effects of such a harmful procedure

cause workforce in this community to be ill psychologically and physiologically.

The single problem of abusing and mistreating animals in slaughterhouses comes with a

high risk of a complex situation that strains majority of the people living in the United States,
including meat and poultry consumers and the slaughterhouses workforce. Having such a large

domino effect means the need of prevention to stop the flow of the problems. One way of

prevention is by revising the inspection procedure, or overall FSIS. Doing so would build a

stronger core of the Food Safety and Inspection Service by removing any source of corruption

within FSIS and the slaughterhouses and also allowing more inspections. Making this change

would impact the main, first domino by knocking out abused animals. If the source is stopped

from the beginning by ensuring unabused animals would mean that it is less likely for bacteria to

grow on the meat and therefore foodborne illnesses would be at a stop as well. Consumers will

then truly have harm free food with less traces of bacteria.