U.S. Department of Agriculture Reopens California Slaughterhouse

Aug 27, 2012

Slaughterhouse Reopens It’s Doors after Questionable Undercover Video

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced today that the California slaughterhouse that was shut down last week due to animal cruelty and food safety allegations can now reopen its doors.

The slaughterhouse under question is ‘Central Valley Meat’s’. The Handford, California, plant was ordered to shut down their operations after the release of video footage captured by an undercover Compassion Over Killing animal activist, claiming animal cruelty was taking place inside the slaughterhouse.

On Thursday, three California Republican Congressmen - Devin Nunes, Kevin McCarthy and Jeff Denham made a request to the USDA to reopen the slaughterhouse, noting that the region’s high unemployment rate would be exacerbated with the prolonged closer of the slaughterhouse. The unemployment rates in the region have been reported as high as 20%. The plant employs over 450 people.

Central Valley Meat’s met USDA’s approval to reopen after the submission of a corrective action plan outlining how the company planned to comply with inspection regulations.

Video: What Does 20 MILLION Hogs a Year Look Like?

?? The Multi-Plant System Processing 20 Million Hogs Annually in the Midwest JBS USA operates multiple large-scale pork processing facilities across the Midwest, including major plants in Iowa, Minnesota, and Indiana. Combined, these facilities have the capacity to process approximately 20 million hogs annually.

Each plant operates high-speed automated slaughter systems capable of processing up to 20,000 head per day, followed by fabrication lines that break carcasses into primals, sub-primals, and case-ready retail products.

Hog procurement is coordinated through electronic marketing platforms that connect regional contract finishing operations and independent producers to plant demand schedules. This digital procurement system allows for steady supply flow and scheduling efficiency across multiple facilities.

Processing plants incorporate comprehensive food safety systems, including pathogen intervention technologies, rapid chilling processes, and integrated cold-chain management. USDA inspection is embedded throughout the harvest and fabrication stages to ensure regulatory compliance and product integrity. Finished pork products — from bulk primals to retail-ready packaged cuts — are distributed through coordinated logistics networks serving domestic and export markets.