FRESNO, Calif. — The Supreme Court on Monday overturned a California law that would require euthanizing downed livestock at federally inspected slaughterhouses to keep the meat out of the nation’s food system.
California strengthened regulations against slaughtering so-called downer animals after the 2008 release of an undercover video showed workers abusing cows at a slaughterhouse.
The court unanimously ruled that the state’s 2009 law was blocked from going into effect by federal law administered by the Agriculture Department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.
Under California law, the ban on buying, selling and slaughtering also extended to pigs, sheep and goats.
Pork producers sued, saying the law interfered with federal laws on inspecting downed livestock before determining whether they can be used for meat. The Associated Press
