DEAR SUN SPOTS: In reference to the enclosed Aug. 8 story about poultry plants, would you find out just what is done with the chicken “carcass” after the “diseased or damaged” parts are cut from the chicken mentioned. It would be an eye-opener for me and probably many other people. You do so much good for so many of us who need answers we cannot get anywhere else. Thank you so much for all your good, true help. — No Name, No Town.

ANSWER: It took Sun Spots a while to track down someone to provide the answer to your question. Perdue referred Sun Spots to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service. Sun Spots talked to Peggy Riek, a very helpful FSIS public affairs specialist, who e-mailed this paragraph from the federal code:

“Poultry are condemned on ante mortem inspection if they present with diseases or conditions that, under 9 CFR 381.71(a), warrant condemnation. Birds condemned on ante mortem inspection cannot enter the official establishment and must be disposed of properly, according to 9 CFR 381.95. Poultry that are dead on arrival must be identified, counted, and weighed, and the number recorded on FSIS Form 9061-2, Poultry Condemnation Certificate. Condemn barrels must be leak proof and clearly marked.”

This means that “poultry found with diseased parts are condemned and therefore are not eligible to be used for human food,” or even for pet food that is “certified.” (“Certified pet food” is any pet food that does not contain condemned or inedible meat and poultry products.)

Peggy added: “Such diseased parts may be diverted to renderers or animal feed manufacturers to be made into poultry meal used in the manufacture of products including fertilizer and livestock, animal or pet food. The rendering process reduces poultry parts or components including any biologically active microorganisms into useful protein. Diseased poultry parts are not used in production of pet food unless it is properly rendered. Each pet food manufacturer determines what protein source they want to use in their process. Pet food manufacturing is under FDA jurisdiction.”

DEAR SUN SPOTS: If anyone can help with this situation, you can. I recently read in the Sun Journal about what poultry farms do to male baby chicks, and it made me sick. I’m having a hard time trying to get it out of my mind. They put them in a grinding machine alive! Any human being that can do this isn’t human. Hopefully, something can be done to stop this. — M.R., No Town

ANSWER: Sun Spots agrees that this is an appalling practice. Unfortunately, so are many other practices used on commercial farms. Many vegetarians and vegans say that the inhumane way the cows, pigs and chickens are treated on these farms is the primary reason why they don’t eat meat. Other concerned individuals switch to organic, free-range and cage-free choices, which cost more, in the hope of lessening the impact on the animals. But price rules in most cases, which leads companies to do whatever it takes to cut costs, at least until the process is exposed.

The video of the baby chicks, which was filmed by an animal rights group, was widely circulated on the Internet. Hopefully there will be enough pressure on producers that they will cease this practice.

Sun Spots asked FSIS’s Peggy Riek about the baby chicks and she said: “FSIS does not regulate anything (i.e., animals) until the truck with animals is on official establishment premises under federal inspection. If inhumane handling occurred at a federally inspection plant, FSIS would take appropriate action to ensure the plant corrected the inhumane handling issue. Outside the federally inspected plant, the state Department of Agricultural or local government would be the responsible authorities for humane handling issues.”

This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name (we won’t use it if you ask us not to). Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can also be e-mailed to sunspots@sunjournal.com.

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