The Catelli Brothers meat processing plant on Broad Street in Shrewsbury was shuttered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Jan. 24 for “egregious” violations of humane animal-handling laws. KEITH HEUMILLER/STAFF SHREWSBURY — An unidentified member of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) got a job at Catelli Brothers slaughterhouse in Shrewsbury last year with the goal of investigating inhumane treatment of calves — and that person found it.
Over the course of 46 days in late 2013, the new Catelli employee used a hidden camera to record footage of calves being dragged with chains, hoisted aloft by one leg while still alive, and hit in the face with a paddle.
The footage was submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in late January. Within 48 hours, officials shuttered the plant on charges of inhumane treatment.
“I think it’s pretty clear that the abuses were severe, so much so that a federal agency not known for swift action responded so quickly,” said Paul Shapiro, vice president of the HSUS Animal Protection Department.
“It may or may not reopen — time will tell. But I’m sure that if it does, they will be under even greater scrutiny than before.”
According to a letter sent by the USDA to Catelli Brothers, the plant located on Route 35 was effectively shut down on Jan. 24 after officials found evidence of “egregious inhumane handling and slaughter of cattle” in the videos.
The videos, which were released to the public by the humane society on Jan. 27, showed a calf being shot multiple times with a bolt gun before reaching unconsciousness, and plant managers twisting calves’ ears or tails when they were too tired or weak to stand on their own, according to HSUS.
Catelli Brothers, headquartered in Collingswood, has operated the Broad Street slaughterhouse in Shrewsbury since 1995.
The company posted an official response on its website following the closure, saying Catelli Brothers has been committed to the humane treatment of calves since it was established in 1946.
“We are deeply concerned about the allegations that have been made regarding the care of calves at our facility,” the statement reads. “Any mistreatment of animals at our facility is unacceptable.
“Our company is cooperating fully with U.S. Department of Agriculture officials as we investigate the situation. We are prepared to take the necessary action as the investigation warrants.”
A USDA inspector must be present in meat processing plants at all times the plant is in operation.
The slaughterhouse has essentially been shuttered, as the USDA has pulled its inspectors from the plant.
USDA officials declined to comment on why the violations were not noticed sooner.
Shapiro said federal inspectors are primarily concentrated in the “post-mortem” areas of a plant, where they ensure bacteria and other contaminants don’t make it into the meat.
“They really should be more involved in the other areas of the plant,” he said.
Before the plant can reopen, Catelli Brothers will have to submit a list of corrective actions and planned preventative measures to ensure that the violations are not repeated, according to the USDA.
In particular, the company will have to determine the nature and causes of the violations, the specific actions that will be taken to address them, and the “monitoring activities” that will be used to ensure all changes are properly implemented.
Catelli Brothers is a member of Fontelli Food Group. According to the website, Catelli has national distribution capabilities and is part of one of the largest integrated veal organizations in the U.S.
While the activity at the Shrewsbury plant was “egregious,” Shapiro said it is unfortunately not an anomaly for American slaughterhouses.
“Through our investigations, we have seen this type of abuse time and time again at slaughter plants,” he said.
While Catelli Brothers’ actions could possibly be corrected, Shapiro said the bigger concern is a federal loophole that allows “downed” calves to be used for human consumption.
“Downed” cattle — those animals that are too injured, sick or weak to stand on their own — must be immediately euthanized and cannot be used for human consumption. Similar protections are not currently extended to calves, Shapiro said.
“Downed animals are many times more likely to have E. coli or even mad cow disease,” he said. “And it’s also a humane issue. In order for them to be slaughtered, they have to be tormented. They have to be dragged or prodded or electrocuted to get them to move. Allowing downed animals to be used for consumption incentivizes that kind of treatment.”
The humane society is currently working to close the loophole and legally prohibit downed calves from being used, which Shapiro said would eliminate the incentives that lead to the kinds of behavior exposed at the Shrewsbury slaughterhouse.
The organization is also working to investigate veal plants throughout the country and identify those that use downed calves for consumption. While the HSUS investigation of Catelli Brothers has, for the moment, put an end to the plant’s alleged inhumane practices, Shapiro said he would much rather have the government do the work instead.
“It’s not the humane society’s job to be enforcing federal law,” he said.