McDonald’s suspends meat purchases from slaughterhouse under investigation

McDonald’s Corp. has joined a growing list of companies that have severed ties with a California slaughterhouse at the center of a federal cruelty and food safety investigation. The world’s largest fast-food chain announced Wednesday that it took immediate action against Central Valley Meat Co. when it learned the U.S. Department of Agriculture had suspended operations at the plant. The plant came under fire this week after an undercover video showed workers kicking, shocking and shooting downed animals in an attempt to get them to walk to slaughter. McDonald’s said behaviors in the video appear to be unacceptable. The video was shot in June and July by an undercover operative working for Compassion Over Killing. Also on Wednesday the USDA announced it was suspending purchases from the company for school lunch and other nutrition programs. It bought 21 million pounds of beef last year. AP