New Mexico’s Valley Meat Co. is appealing a state fine of $86,400 for improper disposal of composted cattle remains. Valley Meat gained notoriety earlier this year when it applied to USDA for equine inspection services to open a horse slaughter facility for export at its closed beef plant near Roswell, NM.
The New Mexico Environment Department issued a compliance order Aug 2, citing Valley Meat for failure to register as a compositing facility for property located near the slaughterhouse, and for failing to properly dispose of solid waste. Valley Meat received the order and notice about the fine by e-mail on Aug. 14. Company attorney A. Blair Dunn said Valley Meat would file an appeal and request a hearing by state officials. New Mexico’s order came after a 2 year stand off over Valley Meat’s failure to move a 400 ton pile of composted cattle remains because a local landfill could not receive the waste due to state restrictions. As for registering the site, Dunn says the state lost two previous applications and then took the position that the third one was not filed in a timely manner. After President Obama and Congress last year lifted a 5 year ban on horse slaughter inspection, Valley Meats filed an application that is still pending for equine inspection services at the closed facility it had once used for beef. Horse slaughter opponents sought to discredit Valley Meats in its application for equine inspections by using the two-year-old problem with the pile of dead cows at the Roswell plant. An inspector for USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service had first questioned the 15-foot pile of rotting cow flesh in January 2010. Valley may resume beef operations while it waits for action on its request for equine inspection services.
The News Desk team at Food Safety News covers breaking developments, regulatory updates, recalls, and key topics shaping food safety today. These articles are produced collaboratively by our editorial staff.
A federal Grand Jury indictment has been filed against multiple suspects, including four defendants, with names redacted, who were formerly employed with Fayette Industrial Services. They are being charged with
An assessment has revealed what is going well and which bits need work regarding the food safety systems of five potential European Union countries.
The reports cover progress in the
A record number of issues were discussed at the latest World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting on food safety.
Attendees at the November meeting of the WTO Committee on Sanitary and
Emergency funding legislation for the federal government approved by the Senate includes provisions that will hamper food safety efforts already in motion — industry lobbyists have been working to halt those
The Food and Drug Administration uses import alerts to enforce U.S. food safety regulations for food from foreign countries. The agency updates and modifies the alerts as needed.
Recent
Prairie Farms is announcing a recall of select Prairie Farms Gallon Fat Free Milk produced at its Dubuque, IA, facility and distributed to Woodman’s stores in Illinois and Wisconsin.
Aoun brand tahineh is under recall in Canada because of contamination with Salmonella.
The recall was triggered by test results from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
The recalled tahineh was
Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends and feasting. Once the holiday meal ends, the spotlight turns to enjoying the leftovers in the days ahead. To keep those leftovers safe
