(
16 " RAE
61
"Agriprocessors fully complies with
federal humane slaughter laws as is
monitored by inspectors of the United
States Department of Agriculture," the
statement said. "All kosher slaughter
procedures are under the exclusive
direction of the supervising agencies
and rabbis who certify the kosher
status of the animals, as is provided
by law."
Grandin's criticism comes as
Agriprocessors is working hard to
revive its image following a massive
federal immigration raid in Postville
on May 12 that led to the arrests of
nearly 400 illegal workers.
Unlike other critics of
Agriprocessors, which the company
has sought to dismiss as "radical" or
"fringe" groups pursuing narrow agen-
das, Grandin is a nationally renowned
figure whose judgments were previ-
ously touted when they were favorable
to the company.
After PETA released a similar
undercover video shot in
2004, pressure mounted
on Agriprocessors to have
Grandin come and inspect
its procedures, which she
did two years later. Grandin
concluded that the compa-
ny had improved its proce-
dures since the first video
was shot, a fact publicized
in news releases by both
Agriprocessors and one of
its supervising agencies, the Orthodox
Union.
"Temple [Grandin] is really impor-
tant," said Rabbi Menachem Genack,
the O.U.'s head of kosher supervision.
"She's universally accepted. I think
she's a very honest person. Generally,
Temple is someone who is accepted
as an arbiter in terms of these issues
of animal welfare. She doesn't have an
agenda against shechita [ritual slaugh-
ter] in any way!"
Grandin's latest remarks strike at
one of the central public relations
vehicles the company has employed in
its struggle to restore its flagging rep-
utation: tours of the plant. The largest
of these was the rabbinic visit on July
31, paid for by Agriprocessors and
organized by the National Council of
Young Israel, an Orthodox synagogue
group. After a three-hour tour, the
rabbis concluded that the company's
image as a chronic rule-breaker was
inconsistent with reality.
"The current situation at the
Agriprocessors plant is diametrically
opposed to the rumors and innuendos
that we had heard before we got here
Rabbi Pesach Lerner, the council's
executive vice president, said follow-
ing the visit. "We saw a state-of-the-art
plant, a tremendous emphasis on safe-
ty and excellent standards of kashrut.
While we have no personal knowledge
of what may or may not have hap-
pened in the past, the Agriprocessors
plant that we saw today is far different
than what has been reported."
Lerner declined to respond to
Grandin's comments. But Genack said
the Orthodox Union had opted not
to participate in the July trip for fear
of being used as Grandin had — as
a tool to buttress the company's image.
"It was meant to give confidence
on the public relations side Genack
said of the rabbinic visit. "We didn't
want the O.U. to be either critic
or apologist for [Agriprocessors'
owner] Rubashkin. With all these
issues remaining still unresolved,
we didn't attend because wanted to
be objective and separate
from the story itself."
Two O.U. rabbis accom-
panied the rabbis on their
tour, but Genack said they
were there solely to illustrate
the plant's kosher supervi-
sion and he had specifically
requested they not be iden-
tified as members of the
delegation.
After filming the con-
troversial method on Aug. 13, PETA,
which makes no secret of its opposi-
tion to all forms of animal slaughter,
turned the footage over to the U.S.
Department of Agriculture and
pressed for an investigation. According
to the department, a so-called "second
cut" is permissible only under direct
rabbinic supervision.
Spokesperson Amanda Eamich
said the department cited the corn-
pany for a second-cut violation
subsequent to Aug. 13, but said the
violation was "not egregious" and
that the company was presently in
compliance.
Agriprocessors has accused PETA of
illegal conduct in producing the video,
including breaking and entering,
trespassing, industrial espionage and
misrepresentation as an employee.
PETA says the company is only try-
ing to deflect attention from its own
misconduct.
"Our investigations are entirely
lawful:' said Hannah Schein, a
PETA investigations specialist.
"Agriprocessors' conduct is not." ❑
She's an
impo rtant,
impa rtial
exper t.
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