在加利福尼亞州的Central Valley Meat公司中的一個秘密視頻指控該公司虐待被宰殺的動物，原因是因為動物在被屠宰之前并沒有使之有足夠的休息時間。目前該公司已經(jīng)受到相關(guān)部門的懲處。

根據(jù)弗雷斯諾蜜蜂統(tǒng)計，在過去，雖然肉類加工企業(yè)仍然愿意為奶牛的購買支付高價，但是由于飼養(yǎng)成本的高速飛漲和奶制品的價格下降，這一奶牛飼養(yǎng)農(nóng)場的為數(shù)不多的利潤亮點已經(jīng)受到挑戰(zhàn)。盡管如此，根據(jù)當(dāng)?shù)貓蠹垐蟮里@示，由于對Central Valley Meat公司處置的停滯不前，以及該地區(qū)其余屠宰廠無力提高屠宰產(chǎn)量，導(dǎo)致了該地區(qū)的奶牛已經(jīng)產(chǎn)生供過于求，奶牛的價格已跌至每磅20美分。

然而，Central Valley Meat公司已收到來自美國農(nóng)業(yè)部的批準(zhǔn)，2012年8月24日已經(jīng)重新開始營業(yè)。除了受到經(jīng)濟(jì)影響，最新的關(guān)于虐待動物指控，已經(jīng)成為了加州中部屠宰場一粒黑色的污點。

動物處理專家Grandin說，在Central Valley Meat公司秘密拍攝的視頻主要問題可以歸結(jié)為到達(dá)屠宰場的動物的不良狀況。

“我呼吁農(nóng)場主在奶牛變得虛弱之前就出售它們。”Grandin在網(wǎng)上說。

獸醫(yī)Richard Wallace正在策劃領(lǐng)導(dǎo)一項活動。該活動主要是勸說農(nóng)場主不再出售虛弱的，殘疾的，或是喪失行動能力的動物去屠宰場。他呼吁農(nóng)場主不要把屠宰場當(dāng)成傾倒動物的垃圾箱。

“屠宰場并不是傾倒動物的垃圾箱”他說。

他呼吁農(nóng)場主將老的奶牛認(rèn)定為有價值的肉牛，而不是廢牛。Wallace建議在奶牛結(jié)束產(chǎn)奶之后，讓它們在農(nóng)場休息了幾個星期后，讓它們恢復(fù)體力，這樣會產(chǎn)生更健康的奶牛與更高品質(zhì)的肉類，提供了更多的利潤。

不經(jīng)過農(nóng)場休整，而直接出售到屠宰廠的動物的另一個值得關(guān)注的是藥物殘留的風(fēng)險增加。Western Institute for Food Safety and Security的動物醫(yī)生和外聯(lián)協(xié)調(diào)員Michael Payne，寫了一本有益的文件，以避免藥物殘留在奶牛的胴體中：

Common Reasons for Carcass Drug Residues
Michael Payne DVM, PhD
Western Institute for Food Safety and Security (WIFSS)
University of California – School of Veterinary Medicine
According to the current USDA data available in 2008 cull dairy cows accounted for just over 7% of all cattle
slaughtered in the US, but were responsible for approximately 90% of carcasses in which drug residues were
detected.
Some of the more common reasons leading to having a carcass condemned for drug residues include:
#1 Changing the dose or route for Procaine Penicillin G: The label dose for PPG is only 1cc per 100
pounds, or about 15 cc total. When a cow is given higher doses or treated subcutaneously (under the skin), the
slaughter withdraw time can increase from the label 4-10 days up to several weeks.
#2 Marketing cows treated for mastitis before completing their slaughter withdrawal: Dairy employees
usually do a great job holding out milk from cows treated for mastitis, but sometimes forget that mastitis tubes
also have slaughter withdrawal times ranging from 4 to 28 days.
#3 Marketing dry-treated cows before completing their slaughter withdrawal: While it’s tempting to cull a
cow who has aborted, she’ll still have residues in her tissues from her dry treatment and a slaughter withdrawal
of 14 to 60 days from the day she was dried off.
#4 Calves marketed for veal that have consumed colostrum or medicated milk replacer: Calves
slaughtered shortly after birth (as bob veal) may have consumed enough antibiotic from the dry-treatment to
trigger a positive carcass test. Tissue residues are also frequently caused by calves consuming milk replacer
medicated with tetracycline & neomycin. Calves fed medicated milk replacer should never be marketed as veal.
#5 Giving pain-relievers in the muscle or under the skin: The only pain-relievers approved for cattle contain
flunixin (Banamine, Flu-Nix), a drug which was only designed to be administered in the vein. Giving flunixincontaining
products in the muscle or under the skin, rather than intravenously, can increase the withdrawal time
from the label 4 days to more than a month.
#6 Marketing cows treated with intra-uterine boluses or infusions: Tetracycline can cross the uterine wall
and be detected in the milk and at slaughter for variable periods. Some veterinary publications recommend
slaughter withdrawal of up to four weeks following intrauterine treatment.
#7 Thinking there is a “zero meat, zero milk withdrawal” antibiotic: While products containing ceftiofur
(Naxcel, Ceftiflex, Excenel, Excede) are attractive because they have no milk withdrawal, all ceftiofur-containing
products have slaughter withdrawals ranging from 3 to 13 days when used according to label. There is no such
thing as a “zero meat, zero milk withdrawal” antibiotic.
#8 Using any sulfa-drug off label: The sulfonamide (“sulfa”) drugs may legally only be used exactly according
to label instructions. Recent FDA investigations residues suggest that over-dosing sulfa boluses (Albon) or
giving intravenous sulfa products (Di-methox) off-label in the muscle or under the skin has led to tissue residues.
While the situations above are some of the more common causes of tissue residues, virtually any drug can
cause residues if it is used off label or if the drug is used on label but the label withdrawal isn’t followed. With
USDA stepping up enforcement on tissue residues and the potential for FDA testing of bulk tank milk in the
future, now is an excellent time for dairy managers to review their treatment programs. As always, your
veterinarian is your most valuable resource for information and advice about avoiding tissue and milk residues.

中邦昊通翻譯整理。