What is a “downer”?
According to statements by USDA officials, the administrative ban on the use of downers for human food applies to all nonambulatory disabled cattle—that is, any cows who are unable to stand or walk, regardless of the reason. This is important because the industry has argued that animals unable to walk due to injury, rather than illness, pose no threat to the food supply. The USDA apparently recognized that it is very difficult for inspectors to correctly discern the reason an animal is nonambulatory. In fact, the Washington state BSE case involved a cow whose records indicated she was unable to walk due to “acute calving complications” (injuries while giving birth), not because of an underlying illness. The USDA’s ban on downer cattle in the human food supply will encourage improved care and handling to prevent cows from becoming downers in the first place. Because downers are no longer allowed in human food, they are now worth less money than they were before the ban. As Temple Grandi
