SACRAMENTO, Calif. — About six months after undercover video footage was released depicting acts of cruelty to cattle at a Chino, Calif., slaughtering facility, the state’s governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill (AB 2098) making it a misdemeanor to buy, sell, process or butcher downer animals for human consumption.
The bill also prohibits the sale or shipping of non-ambulatory animals and allows for the intervention of veterinarian care at stockyards and auctions as opposed to euthanasia.
According to the governor, meat from downer animals poses unnecessary food safety risks to consumers and violators will face jail time and/or fines of up to $20,000.
"I am committed to ensuring California's food supply is safe and secure. With today's action, we are strengthening California's food safety laws and sending a message that violating these laws will not be tolerated," Schwarzenegger said.
Source: MeatPoultry.com
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