From: robin frames [robinframes@yahoo.com]
Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2001 4:20 PM
To: FDADockets@oc.fda.gov
Subject: Downed Animals

11Mar01
To: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
    Dockets Managment Branch
Sirs:
   I urge you to grant the petition to prohibit the
slaughter of "downed" animals for food. This move and
others to regulate intensive factory farming methods
are long overdue to protect human health and reduce
needless suffering of animals raised for food.
   Please refer to docket number 98P-0151/CP1.
   Downers pose an increased risk for bacterial
contamination, and there is evidence that downers now
may help to spread BSE or "mad cow disease" that has
been linked to a fatal human illness, CJD. 
   Already the livestock industry has compromised its
customers so that people get sick and die from eating
hamburgers infected with deadly e-coli bacteria, an
organism that is thought to be in about half of the
beef sold in the United States. 
   Large doses of anti-biotics are fed to livestock to
control disease that occurs because of cramped,
unhealthy living conditions, and these antibiotics are
then passed on to humans who eat the meat of those
animals. This compromises the effectiveness of
antibiotics that humans take to control their
diseases.
   Beyond these problems, today every household must
deal with harmful disease-causing organisms in raw
meat in their kitchens by using extraordinary washing
procedures that in the past were not necessary. In
addition, all meat must be well-cooked to be certain
that it is not harmful to eat. Such conditions are
simply outrageous, and it may not be long before the
public refuses to buy meat at all unless it comes from
small, well-run farms and meatpackers.
   The above hazards to humans are not the only
reasons why factory farming methods need reforming.
Farm animals--especially downers--are routinely
mistreated in ways that would prompt criminal
prosecution if the animals were dogs and cats instead
of cattle, pigs, sheep and chickens. The farm animals
suffer just as much as domestic pets when mistreated.
And we are supposed to be living in a civilized,
compassionate society.
    Downed livestock consist of only 0.1 percent of
all livestock, but outlawing their use for food will
encourage more humane treatment of livestock, which 
in turn will help prevent animals from becoming
downers in the first place.
    Thank you for your assistance in this vital
matter.

Sincerely,
Robin Frames
independent journalist
Albuquerque
robinframes@yahoo.com


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