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OU Claims to Release AuditOn Monday, March 7, the Orthodox Union sent a news release all over the world claiming to have posted the most recent audit of AgriProcessors on its Web site. In actual fact, however, it merely links to a two-sentence summary of the audit that says, in effect, what we’ve been told all along—that the company should be able to do OK when it’s being watched.The OU’s interpretation of the audit, that it vindicates years of horrific cruelty to animals at AgriProcessors, is unfortunate and inaccurate. In fact, 100 percent of veterinary experts and slaughterhouse inspectors who have weighed in regarding PETA’s investigation have agreed with former USDA kosher inspector Dr. Lester Friedlander that “AgriProcessors’ slaughter methods were shoddy and cruel. This is a slaughter operation that couldn’t care less about the suffering of these animals.” And Karen Brown, vice president of the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and in charge of the FMI’s Animal Welfare Audit Program (AWAP), has characterized the OU’s news release as “not accurate” and “unfortunate.” Despite the fact that there have been two announced audits conducted at AgriProcessors since our investigation took place and despite the fact that we have been asking for months to review the results of these audits, not one has been provided to us, to the media, or to anyone else that we know of. This indicates that AgriProcessors can’t even slaughter effectively when it knows it’s being watched. If the OU takes cruelty to animals seriously, its officials will guarantee that all OU certified meat can pass AWAP audits consistently and will require that AgriProcessors agree to unannounced audits. If AgriProcessors has nothing to hide, it will agree to unannounced audits. Watch a video documenting practices that the OU says “conformed to the highest standards, of Jewish law and tradition.” Request a FREE copy of “A Case for Jewish Vegetarianism.” |
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