In a statement, the USDA said, "The Department works to ensure that product purchased for the Federal feeding programs meets stringent food safety standards and that processors comply with humane handling regulations. “We have reviewed the video and determined that, while some of the footage provided shows unacceptable treatment of cattle, it does not show anything that would compromise food safety. Video Footage 
 
 The footage was taken over two weeks from June 18 to July 2 with a hidden camera showing actions, such as excessive force to get animals to move, that violate federal guidelines aimed at protecting the food supply, Erica Meier, executive director of Compassion Over Killing, said in an interview. The animal-rights group’s methods are similar to how the Humane Society of the U.S. obtained undercover video that led to the 2008 recall of 143 million pounds of meat from Westland/Hallmark Meat Co., also a supplier to the U.S. school lunch program. Coelho said the allegations "are both disturbing and surprising" because the plant is "under continuous inspection by USDA Food Safety and Inspection personnel who are empowered to take immediate action when they observe a problem." McDonald's today became the second major U.S. fast food chain to stop buying beef from a California meat supplier after federal inspectors temporarily shut down the plant, citing evidence of "egregious, inhumane handling and treatment of livestock." The president of Central Valley Meat, Brian Coelho, said Tuesday that his company "[takes] these allegations [of abuse] seriously and we are committed to correcting any problems identified on the video as quickly as we possibly can."
– McDonald's is quickly backing away from the California beef plant linked to animal abuse in an undercover video that's reverberating around the meat industry, reports ABC News. The fast-food joint joins In-N-Out as the second major chain to dump Central Valley Meat after the feds shut it down, citing "egregious, inhumane handling and treatment of livestock." "McDonald's cares about how our food is sourced and we have a long history of action and commitment to improve the welfare of animals in our supply chain," said a McDonald's statement, calling the behavior in the video "unacceptable." The video shows cattle barely able to walk being repeatedly hit with cattle prods. The animal rights group that released it says CVM included downer cows, and their potential diseases, in the production of raw beef. But an Agriculture Department review of the footage found no evidence of downer cattle making their way into the food supply, reports Bloomberg.