If the idea of eating meat that comes from the offspring of clones isn't unappealing enough, consider that the U.S. Agriculture Department may be allowing sick cows into the food supply as well. So says a lawsuit filed against the department by the Humane Society of the United States anyway. Double yum!

The federal suit alleges the department has created a "loophole" that provides a financial incentive to the industry that may cause potentially sick cattle to be sent to slaughter. to back up their claim, the Humane Society used a video of employees at a meat company in California abusing cows by using forklifts and electric prods to force cows to get up and walk. The videotape spawned the largest-ever beef recall (143 million pounds), some of which had already been sent to federal nutrition programs including school lunches.

The situation between the department and the society has been tense since the tape was released last month. The department claims the Humane Society should have given the tap to them as soon as it was shot and that the tabe showed an isolated incident; the society counters that  they approached local prosecutors in December because of the documented animal abuse.

Just for the record, cows that can't stand up and walk - also called downer cows - were banned from the food supply in 2004 by the department, due to the risk of mad cow disease. The Humane Society maintains the Agriculture Department isn't properly enforcing the ban and downer cows are still being slaughtered and entering the food supply.

Between this and news that cloned offspring is likely making its way into the food supply are almost (almost) enough to convince me to kick my meat habit.

» The New York Times