在加利福尼亚州的Central Valley Meat公司中的一个秘密视频指控该公司虐待被宰杀的动物，原因是因为动物在被屠宰之前并没有使之有足够的休息时间。目前该公司已经受到相关部门的惩处。

根据弗雷斯诺蜜蜂统计，在过去，虽然肉类加工企业仍然愿意为奶牛的购买支付高价，但是由于饲养成本的高速飞涨和奶制品的价格下降，这一奶牛饲养农场的为数不多的利润亮点已经受到挑战。尽管如此，根据当地报纸报道显示，由于对Central Valley Meat公司处置的停滞不前，以及该地区其余屠宰厂无力提高屠宰产量，导致了该地区的奶牛已经产生供过于求，奶牛的价格已跌至每磅20美分。

然而，Central Valley Meat公司已收到来自美国农业部的批准，2012年8月24日已经重新开始营业。除了受到经济影响，最新的关于虐待动物指控，已经成为了加州中部屠宰场一粒黑色的污点。

动物处理专家Grandin说，在Central Valley Meat公司秘密拍摄的视频主要问题可以归结为到达屠宰场的动物的不良状况。

“我呼吁农场主在奶牛变得虚弱之前就出售它们。”Grandin在网上说。

兽医Richard Wallace正在策划领导一项活动。该活动主要是劝说农场主不再出售虚弱的，残疾的，或是丧失行动能力的动物去屠宰场。他呼吁农场主不要把屠宰场当成倾倒动物的垃圾箱。

“屠宰场并不是倾倒动物的垃圾箱”他说。

他呼吁农场主将老的奶牛认定为有价值的肉牛，而不是废牛。Wallace建议在奶牛结束产奶之后，让它们在农场休息了几个星期后，让它们恢复体力，这样会产生更健康的奶牛与更高品质的肉类，提供了更多的利润。

不经过农场休整，而直接出售到屠宰厂的动物的另一个值得关注的是药物残留的风险增加。Western Institute for Food Safety and Security的动物医生和外联协调员Michael Payne，写了一本有益的文件，以避免药物残留在奶牛的胴体中：

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.

中邦昊通翻译整理。