Slaughterhouse operators can expect closer scrutiny from the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) in the months ahead. In a critical report, USDA's Inspector General warns federal beef inspectors aren't strictly following cattle screening rules, thereby increasing the risk of mad cow disease in the nation's meat supply. The report said it found cases where rules covering the slaughter of cattle are sometimes ignored.
For example, 29 suspect cows were slaughtered at two of a dozen meatpacking plants reviewed in an audit. The report says the animals were incapable of walking, and at least 20 of them fell into the category of downer cows, animals whose condition can't be explained by injury. Downer cows are considered to be at the highest risk for mad cow disease.