Metro
New Postville Charges
Kosher slaughterhouses in Iowa,
Nebraska cited in new complaints.
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16
August 23 • 2007
JN
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• Scu 4htieid, MI 48076
Alan Hitsky
Associate Editor
A
griprocessors in Postville,
Iowa, the nation's largest
kosher slaughterhouse, has
been accused by the United Food &
Commercial Workers International
Union of food safety violations.
The plant, which produces kosher
products under the Aaron's Best and
Rubashkin labels, among others, is
one of the sources for kosher meat in
the Detroit area that is approved by
the Council of Orthodox Rabbis of
Greater Detroit (COR). Several years
ago, after the Cornbelt Packing plant
was destroyed in a fire in Detroit,
Agriprocessors was the main source of
kosher meat for the Detroit area.
Since that time, however, additional
sources are being used. Rabbi Joseph
D. Krupnick, kashrus director for the
COR, said Morris Kosher Poultry in
Hazel Park is bringing in Alle Packing
(Meal Mart) products from Long
Island; lamb and veal for the area
comes from Chiapetti in Chicago;
and Cornbelt, under Sammy Flatt,
kosher slaughters 30 head of cattle and
some lamb once a week at a plant in
Millingon, Mich., east of Frankenmuth.
Sold Locally
Agriprocessors' products are sold at
some area supermarkets and at the
Superior Kosher Meat counter in
the One Stop Kosher supermarket in
Southfield. Superior owner Shloime
Luss did not respond to a phone call
from the Jewish News.
Agriprocessors was the subject of
an investigation in 2005 by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA)
and the Orthodox Union (OU) after
People for the Ethical Treatment of
Animals claimed that Agriprocessors
slaughtered inhumanely and not in
accordance with Jewish law. Local rab-
bis who viewed a film of the slaughter-
ing procedure did not agree with the
charges, but some changes were made
at the plant after the USDA and OU
investigations.
The United Food & Commercial
Workers International Union (UFCW)
based its Aug. 9 accusations on USDA
Food Safety Inspection Service records
and two USDA letters of warning. The
UFCW said the documents show "a
pattern of food safety issues including
recalled products, mad cow related
safety concerns and repeated fecal and
bile contamination."
James Blau, assistant director for the
UFCW strategic resources department
in Washington, D.C., said the union
was motivated to publicize the charges
because "part of what we do is to
monitor the industry. Because of our
employees, we want a healthy industry
and the track record of this company
reflects poorly on the industry."
Agrisprocessors was the subject of a
2001 book by Stephen Bloom, Postville:
A Clash of Cultures in Heartland
America. The book described the
divide between the native Iowans and
the Lubavitch Jews from New York who
own and work at the plant.
Nebraska Trouble
People for the Ethical Treatment of
Animals (PETA) filed a complaint in
July against another plant owned by
Rubashkin.
Sheridan County, Neb., officials
have appointed a special prosecutor to
investigate PETA claims that cows at
the Local Pride LLC plant in Gordon
remained alive up to two minutes after
their throats were slit. If the throat is
cut properly, death is almost instanta-
neous.
The plant opened in June 2006
under an agreement between the
Rubashkin family of New York and the
Oglala Sioux of the Pine Ridge Indian
Reservation in South Dakota.
PETA had conducted an undercover
investigation last spring similar to its
2004 investigation at Agriprocessors.
A USDA spokesperson said a spe-
cialist was sent to the Local Pride
plant, but no violations of the U.S.
Humane Methods of Slaughter Act
were found at that time. The USDA
continues to monitor the plant.
Shlomo Rubashkin was quoted in
an Associated Press report as saying
that he was unaware of any problems
and the slaughtering process conforms
with USDA guidelines. I