USDA Fails to Require Humane Poultry Handling, Lawsuit Says (3)

The Agriculture Department has neglected to require humane handling of poultry at federally inspected slaughterhouses for years, according to a lawsuit by animal protection groups.

The abuse of chickens, turkeys, and other birds has resulted in damaged or contaminated products that violate the Poultry Products Inspection Act, the Animal Welfare Institute and Farm Sanctuary said in the suit.

Industry heavyweights Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. and Sanderson Farms Inc. were among the top offenders previously alleged by the plaintiffs. The advocacy organizations, represented by Harvard Law School’s Animal Law & Policy Clinic, filed the lawsuit Thursday in a New York federal district...