Livestock haulers would be held accountable for animal abuse under new proposal

Land Line, the business magazine for professional truckers, had an article on its website recently about a proposal by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service that would hold transporters responsible for the mistreatment of livestock.

The article stated an advanced copy of the

notice

was posted on the

FSIS website

earlier this month, and was expected to be published in the

Federal Register

in the coming days. The advanced copy could be subject to minor changes.

"The Food Safety and Inspection Service is announcing its intent to hold livestock owners, transporters, haulers and other persons not employed by an official establishment responsible if they commit acts involving inhumane handling of livestock in connection with slaughter when on the premises of an official establishment," the notice states. "FSIS believes these actions will further improve the welfare of livestock handled in connection with slaughter by ensuring that all persons that inhumanely handle livestock in connection with slaughter are held accountable."

Currently, the operators of farms and slaughterhouses are the ones held accountable for mistreatment of livestock on their property, said author Mark Schremmer.

Read the full article here.