Growing Outrage Prompts USDA Probe Into Animal Research Facility

Last week, an investigation by The New York Times exposed a little-known institution called the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, where farmed animals are subjected to cruelty beyond imagination. Not surprisingly, the facility’s mission is to help producers of beef, pork, and lamb turn a higher profit.

Reuters explains that in response to growing public outrage, USDA secretary Tom Vilsack has “directed agency staff to create and deliver an updated Animal Welfare Strategy plan within 60 days, according to an internal email.

Reuters also reports that “[t]he new strategy will include updated training for government employees and others who work with animals in the service’s research labs, according to the email. In addition, an independent panel will be convened to review the group’s animal handling protocols, policies and research practices.

MFA’s president, Nathan Runkle, spoke about this insidious facility with nationally celebrated journalist Jane Velez-Mitchell just this week:


While we’re certainly not holding our breath that the USDA will do the right thing and shut this house of horrors down, we are pleased to see acknowledgment of this issue, and hope that the agency will implement meaningful regulations to protect the animals at this facility.

Of course, the best thing that consumers can do to protect all farmed animals is simply to stop eating them.

For more information on making the switch to a plant-based diet, check out ChooseVeg.com.