Congresswoman Escobar Leads Letter on Removal of Downed Pigs to Protect Public Health

Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) led eight of her colleagues in sending a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to implement regulatory policy to remove downed pigs from the food supply. This reform would protect the public and farm, slaughterhouse, and meatpacking workers from contact with zoonotic diseases.

The lawmakers wrote: "As members of the United States House of Representatives with a vested interest in the health, safety, security, and effectiveness of our nation's food system, we write to respectfully urge you to implement regulatory protections for nonambulatory, or "downed," pigs, and to require their removal from the food supply. As you may recall, on June 29, 2023, a coalition of 45 nonprofit organizations, farms, businesses, and veterinarians sent you a letter with the same request. We seek to reiterate and strongly affirm the contents of that letter.

"We cannot emphasize enough that the slaughter of downed pigs for human consumption constitutes a significant food safety and public health hazard. A study of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that each year, pork containing pathogens leads to about 525,000 infections, 2,900 hospitalizations, and 82 deaths in humans. Downed pigs are more likely to be infected than ambulatory ones… Because downed pigs are unable to rise, they are held for long periods in these filthy pens, making exposure to harmful pathogens more likely. Currently, consumers have no way to determine whether the pork products they consume originated from downed pigs. This is increasingly important considering the 2024 transmission of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) from poultry to dairy cattle, dairy milk, and dairy workers, and recently swine (this being the first detection of HPAI in swine in the U.S.).

"In addition to protecting the public from contaminated pork products, removing downed pigs from the food system will also reduce farm, slaughterhouse, and meatpacking workers' risk of contact with zoonotic diseases. These workers already face serious workplace hazards, with reported rates of illness and injury higher than those in manufacturing overall," the lawmakers continued. "But to make matters worse, studies show that pig slaughter plant workers have a higher risk of infection from zoonotic pathogens, such as H1N1 and MRSA. Humans have little to no immunity against the common flu viruses that spread among pigs, as exemplified by the 2009 H1N1 swine flu pandemic, which is thought to have originated in pigs raised for food and killed between 151,700 and 575,400 people in its first year.

"Given the serious public health threats discussed above, it is prudent to take action now to address the problem of nonambulatory pigs. If we wait, this country could soon face another crisis like the one that occurred in 2003 with the first detection of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in North America, which caused mass panic and cost the cattle industry an estimated $6 billion. Or the crisis in 2008, when footage of downed cow abuse at Westland/Hallmark Meat Company, due to inadequate food safety inspection, resulted in the nation's largest beef recall ever. USDA must get ahead of the problem and prevent future pandemics by applying the same rules to downed pigs as it has done to downed cows.

They concluded: "As President, you have the distinct opportunity to implement this regulatory policy during your final months in office to protect our nation's food system. We respectfully request that you use your power to listen to American voters and ensure your administration addresses this important issue."

In addition to the Congresswoman, the letter was signed by Representatives Julia Brownley (CA-24), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Henry "Hank" Johnson (GA-04), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) and Mike Quigley (IL-05) and was endorsed by Mercy For Animals, Animal Legal Defense Fund, Animals Are Sentient Beings Inc, Chilis on Wheels, Church Women United in New York State, Farm Forward, Farm Sanctuary, Food System Innovations, FOUR PAWS USA, GMO/Toxin Free USA, Humane Farming Association, New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets, Our Honor, Pasado's Safe Haven, Social Compassion in Legislation, Voters For Animal Rights, Animal Welfare Institute, Crate Free USA, New Roots Institute, and American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

Full text of the letter can be found here.