USDA still mum on 'downer cow' rule change

WASHINGTON, April 30 (UPI) -- The U.S. secretary of agriculture is not taking a position on the proposed ban on processing sick "downer" cattle at slaughterhouses, a spokesman said.

The Department of Agriculture spokesman told the Riverside Press-Enterprise Wednesday that while Secretary Ed Schafer is "serious about addressing the issue," he was not taking a formal position at the present time.

Schafer is instead waiting for the results of an investigation and audit that are not expected until later in the year.

The meat industry last week called for steps to keep ailing animals out of the U.S. food supply. Downers have officially been banned since 2004; however, the newspaper said an apparent loophole allows the slaughter of animals that go down if they are first checked out by a veterinarian.

Critics say that rule led to tainted meat coming out of a Chino, Calif., plant and the eventual recall of 143 million pounds of beef earlier this year.