Livestock Handling Expert, Dr. Temple Grandin Tours Agriprocessors With Orthodox Union (OU) Rabbis

On Tuesday, June 27, 2006, Dr. Temple Grandin visited Agriprocessors's Postville, Iowa plant to tour its facilities and consult with its management on the humane treatment of livestock. Rabbi Menachem Genack of the Orthodox Union (OU) and Rabbi Menachem Weissmandl joined Dr. Grandin on her visit.

Agriprocessors staff reviewed its entire livestock operation with Dr. Grandin, Rabbi Genack and Rabbi Weissmandl and walked them through each stage of the process that involved live animals, from the barn to the kill floor.

"Dr. Grandin visited our plant as a consultant, not as an auditor," Sholom Rubashkin said. "But she said if she had been conducting an audit, Agriprocessors would have passed. Dr. Grandin told us she was pleased at what she found. Given her commitment to animals, her pleasure is high praise."

Dr. Grandin had been invited to visit Agriprocessors as a follow up to a recently completed humane animal treatment audit conducted by Silliker Laboratories. The audit process used by Silliker Laboratories is based on the humane treatment criteria established by Dr. Grandin. Agriprocessors passed the Silliker Labs audit with flying colors and had passed three other audits during the prior year.

Dr. Grandin is a designer of livestock handling facilities and an Associate Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University, where she teaches courses on livestock behavior and facility design. She is recognized world-wide as an expert on the humane treatment of animals and livestock and is the author of "Thinking in Pictures", "Livestock Handling and Transport," and "Genetics and the Behavior of Domestic Animals." Her book "Animals in Translation" was a New York Times best seller.

Rabbi Menachem Genack is the Rabbinic Administrator of the OU's Kosher Division. Rabbi Menachem Weissmandl is the Rabbinic Head of Nitra Beth Din of Monsey, New York.