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. (More McDonald's stories.)