The American Meat Institute (AMI) has released a video which explains why it is essential for cattle to treated humanely during unloading and movement through processing operations; for example, agitated cattle produce adrenalin which results in tougher meat; bruised sections must be cut away as waste - The video emphasizes that animals are stunned making them unconscious prior to slaughter; however, following stunning, it is normal to see some uncoordinated movement, especially of the unrestrained rear leg, pictures of which are prominent in undercover videos - The video advises that the consumers are generally not permitted access to processing plants because visitors could unintentionally introduce contamination; given the machinery and knives that are used in the plants visitors could become injured; employees could be distracted by the presence of visitors; and visitors can cause animals to become agitated and frightened.
* The August 24, 2012 AMI news release, titled "Glass Walls: A Look Inside a Typical Large Beef Plant" is posted at http://blog.meatami.com/2012/08/glass-walls-a-look-inside-a-typical-large-beef-plant/
* The video, titled "Video Tour of Beef Plant Featuring Temple Grandin; the Value of Calm Cattle" is posted at http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VMqYYXswono