Officials in California have shut a slaughterhouse, Central Valley Meat, after reviewing video footage from animal rights group Compassion Over Killing. The group claimed it had images of cows being tortured. The federal officials said the ban was temporary, but Central Valley Meat could face severe business loss. Fast food group In-N-Out Burger has announced it would not source meat from Central Valley Meat. “In-N-Out Burger would never condone the inhumane treatment of animals,” said Mark Taylor, In-N-Out’s chief operating officer.
Central Valley’s President Brian Coelho said his company was fully cooperating with investigators and had retained an outside animal welfare expert to conduct a separate internal investigation. Erica Meier, executive director of Compassion Over Killing, said, “We are trying to shine a spotlight on what is happening inside slaughterhouses because this is not an isolated incident.”