Since When Did the USDA Start Promoting ‘Meatless Mondays’?

Jul 26, 2012

Editorial Debacle Leaves USDA Scrabbling

The United States Department of Agriculture prides themselves on providing leadership on food and agriculture has been found to be promoting “Meatless Monday’s” in their newsletter sent out to employees in order to “reduce their environmental impact.”

This shocking discovery was exposed by Kansas Senator Jerry Moran calling out Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on the Senate Floor asking why USDA was discouraging their employees from consuming meat and dairy products.

"American farmers and ranchers deserve a USDA that will pursue supportive policies rather than seek their further harm. With extreme drought conditions plaguing much of the United States, the USDA should be more concerned about helping drought-stricken producers rather than demonizing an industry reeling from the lack of rain,” Moran said in a statement.

The USDA is on the defensive and has said that the newsletter was distributed without proper approval. The newsletter in question has since been removed from the department’s website.

Video: What Does 20 MILLION Hogs a Year Look Like?

?? The Multi-Plant System Processing 20 Million Hogs Annually in the Midwest JBS USA operates multiple large-scale pork processing facilities across the Midwest, including major plants in Iowa, Minnesota, and Indiana. Combined, these facilities have the capacity to process approximately 20 million hogs annually.

Each plant operates high-speed automated slaughter systems capable of processing up to 20,000 head per day, followed by fabrication lines that break carcasses into primals, sub-primals, and case-ready retail products.

Hog procurement is coordinated through electronic marketing platforms that connect regional contract finishing operations and independent producers to plant demand schedules. This digital procurement system allows for steady supply flow and scheduling efficiency across multiple facilities.

Processing plants incorporate comprehensive food safety systems, including pathogen intervention technologies, rapid chilling processes, and integrated cold-chain management. USDA inspection is embedded throughout the harvest and fabrication stages to ensure regulatory compliance and product integrity. Finished pork products — from bulk primals to retail-ready packaged cuts — are distributed through coordinated logistics networks serving domestic and export markets.