AMI's response comes after the largest meat recall in US history began earlier this week.

The voluntary recall of 143,383,823 pounds of raw and frozen beef products by the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company followed an investigation by USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

FSIS investigated the Hallmark/Westland plant following an undercover investigation by the Humane Society of the United States, which resulted in video footage of plant employees mistreating cattle.

The footage led to fears that the use of crippled cattle could increase the risk of human exposure to mad cow disease or pathogens such as E.coli.

Fired debate

The news has spurred debate amongst industry and consumer safety groups, with the latter claiming that the incident supports growing consumer fears that the government is not properly regulating meat safety.

But now AMI has hit back at these accusations, with senior vice president of regulatory affairs Mark Dopp, stating: "Claims that we are not regulated heavily enough or that inspection oversight is lacking are simply outrageous. We benefit from the oversight we receive. We will not let a video from what appears to have been a tragic anomaly stand as the poster child for our industry. "

Dopp said that the US meat industry is unique in how widely it is inspected and regulated.

He said: "The USDA seal on our products means that the animals from which meat is derived were inspected by a veterinarian and that meat inspectors oversaw production, ensuring compliance with federal rules throughout the process. This inspection is an essential part of ensuring consumer trust in our products.

" No other industry in agriculture or in other industries has inspectors on site at all times."

The group's response will help rebuild confidence in the industry, which has been rocked by the recall.

Dopp added: "A clear examination of the facts will show that we have a documented record of working with USDA to ensure food safety advancement. We also have gone beyond simply meeting federal requirements and have developed research and education programs that have yielded real results, and best practices that are widely endorsed in the U.S. and around the world."

Shocking footage

Video evidence showed slaughter plant workers at Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company forcing "downed" animals onto their feet and so into the human food chain. Workers are seen, among other things, kicking cows and ramming them with the blades of a forklift truck.

"This recall is the result of a terrible failure of the US Department of Agriculture's mandate since 1906 to ensure that sick animals are not slaughtered for human food…" said Caroline Smith DeWaal, food safety director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) said at the time of the recall.