Federal inspectors shut down Hanford slaughterhouse over unsanitary conditions

HANFORD, Calif.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service said on Tuesday that operations at Central Valley Meat Co. in Hanford will be suspended indefinitely until the company produces a corrective plan.

In 2012, the slaughterhouse shut down for a week after Compassion Over Killing, an animal rights group, sent videos to federal officials showing workers torturing cows with electric prods and spraying hot water on the animals, the Los Angeles Times reported.

"This facility has a history of rampant animal abuse, so it's not surprising that it's also having issues with unsanitary conditions," Erica Meier, executive director of Compassion Over Killing, told the newspaper.

In September 2013, Central Valley Meat Co. recalled 58,000 pounds of beef for the school lunch program after federal officials said the meat possibly contained pieces of plastic.

There was no recall in Tuesday's announcement.

Central Valley Meat didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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