MD Foods Australia

On the banks of the Murray River, MD Foods slaughters thousands of sheep and goats every week in a purpose built killing factory.

Previously known as Riverside Meats, the slaughterhouse was exposed twice by Animals Australia in 2013 and 2016, with footage showing abuse, poor stunning and suffering of sheep, cows, goats and bobby calves. These investigations led to significant media coverage and the slaughterhouse was forced to install CCTV, before opting to shut down in 2018 amid protests from workers.

Three years later they quietly reopened as MD Foods Australia. Three years after that, we visited to see if much had changed.

They may have a new name, but our cameras captured the same violence and abuse towards animals. From the holding pens to the race, sheep and goats were pulled by their ears and horns, pinned by gates, and roughly thrown through the air by workers.

Upon being restrained, improper stunning and mishandling led to many animals escaping onto the kill floor, being painfully stunned multiple times, and even being killed while fully conscious. Some struggled so violently after having their throats cut that they broke free of the shackle line and were left to thrash on the kill floor as the blood of others washed over them.

The recent footage bears a disturbing resemblance to the cruelty uncovered almost 10 years ago by Animals Australia. All of this abuse was done in clear sight of the same CCTV cameras which were installed to prevent cruelty all those years ago. There is no compassion, remorse, or consequences. These animals are abused at every step along the path towards their painful deaths.

Parent company:

Dabbagh Enterprises Pty Ltd
Address: 3-15 Plummer Rd, Laverton North, VIC 3026
Phone: +61 3 8360 5265
E-mail: [email protected] 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dabbaghqm/ 

Demand action:

• Contact the Federal Minister for Agriculture, Julie Collins MP
• Contact the Victorian Minister for Agriculture, Ros Spence MP

Prior investigations

First investigation (2013):

Footage taken by hidden cameras inside Riverside Meats Abattoir, Echuca VIC, was anonymously provided to Animals Australia in early 2013.

The footage depicts young calves being pushed, shocked with electric prods, hit and dragged up a metal ramp to be slaughtered; "waste products" of the dairy industry. Some, too weak to stand, are thrown into the slaughter chute. Over 700000 calves are killed each year at around 5 days old so that their mothers can continue producing milk to be sold to consumers.

Upon receiving the footage, Animals Australia lodged a formal complaint with the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) for breaches of Victorian animal cruelty laws and the illegal use of an electric prod on a calf. A formal complaint was also lodged with PrimeSafe for breaches of the Australian Standards governing welfare at abattoirs; PrimeSafe ordered the practices cease immediately. Investigations have now concluded - incredibly, no charges have been laid. Instead, the abattoir owners and several workers were issued with formal warnings by DPI.

Second investigation (2016):

Exposed a second time by Animals Australia in November 2016: www.animalsaustralia.org/features/they-stabbed-babies. Hidden camera footage showed horrific abuse to bobby calves ('waste products' of the dairy industry), goats, sheep, cows and pigs.