AN ORGANIZATION KNOWN AS COMPASSION OVER KILLING HAS
RELEASED A VIDEO OF THE QUALITY PORK PROCESSORS, AND THE WAY
THAT THEY TREAT THEIR ANIMALS THERE, SPECIFICALLY PIGS.
IT IS
A DIFFICULT VIDEO TO WATCH, BECAUSE YOU GET A SENSE OF NOT
ONLY HOW CRUEL THEY ARE, BUT HOW UNSANITARY THE CONDITIONS ARE
AND HOW UNSAFE IT IS FOR US TO CONSUME THE MEAT THAT IS NOT
EVEN REALLY INSPECTED THERE.
THE VIDEO WE ARE ABOUT TO SHOW YOU
IS LONG, GRAPHIC, BUT GIVES YOU A SENSE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING TO
THE FOOD YOU ARE EATING IN THE U.S. TAKE A LOOK.
THIS VIDEO WAS TAKEN INSIDE A USDA INSPECTED SLAUGHTERHOUSE
THAT SUPPLIES HORMEL.
WITH FASTER LINE SPEEDS THAN ALMOST
ANY OTHER FACILITY IN THE U.S., APPROXIMATELY 1300 PIGS ARE
KILLED EACH HOUR.
BY LAW, PIGS MUST BE RENDERED INSENSIBLE TO
PAIN BEFORE HAVING THEIR THROATS SLIT.
HOWEVER, THIS DOES NOT
ALWAYS HAPPEN AT QUALITY PORK PROCESSORS, EITHER THROUGH HUMAN
ERROR OR THROUGH INTENTIONAL CRUELTY, AS ONE WORKER ADMITTED.
PIGS WHO REGAIN SENSIBILITY ON THE SLAUGHTER LINE ARE SOMETIMES
EVEN SCALDED ALIVE.
ONE FACILITY SUPERVISOR RESPONSIBLE FOR
OVERSEEING THE STUNNING OF ANIMALS WAS CAUGHT SLEEPING ON
THE JOB.
OTHERS WERE CAUGHT CHEERING AS A PIG WAS IMPROPERLY
STUNNED.
AND DRENCHING PAPER TOWELS IN PIGS BLOOD TO THROW AT
OTHER WORKERS.
OUR FOOTAGE ALSO SHOWS NUMEROUS POTENTIAL FOOD
SAFETY ISSUES, SUCH AS ANIMALS WITH PROLAPSED ORGANS BEING
PROCESSED FOR FOOD, AS WELL AS COUNTLESS PIG CARCASSES RIDDLED
WITH PUS-FILLED ABSCESSES AND COVERED WITH FECES.
WOW.
THAT IS A DIFFICULT VIDEO TO WATCH.
AND THAT IS NOT EVEN THE FULL VIDEO.
YOU GUYS SHOULD WATCH THE FULL VIDEO TO KIND OF GET THE
FULL PICTURE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING, NOT ONLY TO THESE
ANIMALS -- LET'S SAY YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT ANIMAL CRUELTY AT
ALL.
KEEP IN MIND THAT THAT FOOD IS UNSAFE TO EAT.
AND THE REASON
WHY THIS EXPOS…
IS SO IMPORTANT IS BECAUSE THIS PARTICULAR
FACTORY WAS PART OF A PILOT PROGRAM THAT WOULD ALLOW THE
ORGANIZATION OR THE COMPANY TO SELF-REGULATE.
THEY DECIDED THAT
MAYBE SELF-REGULATION IS A BETTER IDEA.
THAT IS THE CORE OF
LIBERTARIAN IDEOLOGY, RIGHT?
LET THE FREE MARKET DECIDE, LET PEOPLE SELF-REGULATE, WE
ARE INHERENTLY GOOD, WE'LL DO THE RIGHT THING.
NO, WE WILL GIVE YOU PUS FILLED HOT DOGS.
AND NOT TOTALLY
SELF-REGULATING, THAT IS ONE OF THE PLACES WHERE THERE IS STILL
SOME REGULATORS.
YOU SAW THE USDA GUY ASLEEP ON THE JOB.
WHAT
THEY WANT TO DO IS GET TO THE POINT WHERE THEY DON'T HAVE ANY
OF THAT REGULATION.
THIS IS WHAT THEY DO AT THE PLACE WHERE THE
GOVERNMENT IS STILL AROUND SORT OF.
CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT THEY
WOULD DO IF THERE WAS NOBODY WATCHING?
YOU THINK THEY
WOULDN'T -- IN THE FULL VIDEO THEY SHOW PIGS WHO CAN'T WALK,
AND YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO INSPECT THEM.
I'M AMAZED THAT THIS IS
LAW -- YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO INSPECT THESE DIFFERENT PARTS OF
THE PIG FOR DISEASE.
THEY DON'T DO ANY OF THAT.
THE INSPECTORS
SAY NO, THERE ARE LIKE THOUSANDS OF PIGS AN HOUR, WE DON'T CHECK
THEM FOR ANYTHING.
ONES WHO CAN'T WALK, THEY STILL USE THEM.
THEY WOULD NOT TURN DOWN A SINGLE PIG IF THE
GOVERNMENT WAS NOT IN THE BUILDING.
I WANT TO GIVE YOU MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ON THAT,
LET'S GO TO GRAPHIC 20.
THIS IS ACCORDING TO MOTHER JONES, THEY
HAVE DONE EXTENSIVE REPORTING ON THIS ISSUE.
THEY FOUND THAT --
BECAUSE OF THE FAST-PACED NATURE OF THIS JOB, THE
INSPECTOR DOES NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THE COMPREHENSIVE
INSPECTION THAT JOHN WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER.
HE CAN'T REALLY
CHECK FOR ALL THESE DISEASES AND THESE ISSUES THAT THE MEAT COULD
POSSIBLY HAVE.
CAN WE BRING THAT GRAPHIC BACK UP?
THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE
TO ME.
IT SAID, THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR SAT IN A CHAIR BECAUSE
HE ONLY HAD TIME TO DO VISUAL INSPECTIONS.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN,
HE ONLY HAD TIME?
THEN SHUT THE FUCKING LINE DOWN.
HOW CAN THEY
PUT THE PIGS BY IF THEY HAVEN'T BEEN INSPECTED?
IT'S LIKE, I
WOULD LIKE TO CHECK FOR DISEASE.
YEAH, BUDDY, IF YOU CAN.
SO THE
NEXT TIME I HAVE TO GO IN FOR EMISSIONS, I WILL JUST TO DRIVE
THROUGH THE BUILDING 90 MILES AN HOUR, I GUESS YOU DIDN'T HAVE
TIME TO CHECK IT, MAYBE NEXT YEAR.
IT'S THE ONLY INDUSTRY WHERE GOVERNMENT INSPECTORS ARE
OPTIONAL, IF WE CAN FIT IT IN.
KEEP IN MIND THAT THE USDA IS A GOVERNMENT RUN PROGRAM
THAT WAS IN FAVOR OF TRYING OUT THIS PILOT PROGRAM THAT
WOULD ALLOW THESE COMPANIES TO SELF REGULATE.
IT WAS SUGGESTED BY THE HEAD OF HORMEL,
ONE OF THE COMPANIES WHO OWNS THE FACTORIES BEING USED IN
THE PROGRAM.
I THINK HE HAS A VESTED INTEREST IN RUNNING IT A PARTICULAR WAY.
IT COMES RIGHT BACK AROUND TO AN ISSUE WE TALK ABOUT A LOT, MONEY
AND POLITICS.
WE TALK ABOUT IT A LOT BUT IT IMPACTS EVERY FACET
OF OUR DAILY LIVES, WHETHER IT IS THE FOOD WE EAT, THE AMOUNT
OF MONEY WE PAY IN TAXES, THE WAY WE ARE TREATED AT THE
WORKPLACE, IT GOES BACK TO MONEY IN POLITICS.
HORMEL SHOULD NOT
HAVE THE ABILITY TO INFLUENCE POLITICIANS TO THE POINT WHERE
THEY GET TO SELF-REGULATE, BECAUSE HERE'S THE THING, THEY
HAVE A VESTED INTEREST TO PRODUCE AS MUCH MEAT AS POSSIBLE
AND CUT AS MANY CORNERS AS POSSIBLE.
ARE THEY GOING TO SELF
REGULATE?
NO, THEY ARE GOING TO LOOK AFTER THEIR BOTTOM LINE.
THERE IS NO MORALITY, THESE COMPANIES ARE AMORAL
BECAUSE THEY HAVE A BOTTOM LINE.
THERE SHOULD BE AS MANY INSPECTORS THERE AS THERE NEED
TO BE FOR THE SPEED OF THE LINE.
THEY SHOULD BE PAYING FOR THEM.
I UNDERSTAND THAT WILL RAISE THE COST OF THE MEAT OR WHATEVER,
THAT SEEMS LIKE A FAIR TRADE-OFF TO NOT HAVE MEAT FILLED WITH
DISEASE AND SHIT.