American Meat Institute urges USDA to Require Test-and-Hold
The USDA has been requested to support a new policy which would require companies to hold product tested by the Food Safety and Inspection Service until the agency returns test results.
The American Meat Institute will give its full support to a new policy where the tested meat product will not be released for commerce until the results are available, the industry standard being a 48-72 hour wait.
The new policy would avoid potential recalls of contaminated product from reaching consumers. In 2007, 26 of the 49 E. coli 0157:H7 recalls had entered commerce while waiting for positive test results.
According to AMI: "Such a policy should not consist of agency retention of any FSIS-tested product, but rather require a company to utilize its own , effective control measures that ensure the product is not used or distributed for sale before the test results are known."
Food Safety Testing a growing World Wide Concern: Canada aids China
As world-wide concern for food safety testing raises, the Canadian Government has stepped in to aid the Chinese in better regulating their vast and troubled food industry. Financing for the project was provided from a little-known, $20-million aid program run by Agriculture Canada.
Thus far Canadian experts have helped draft new food-safety laws touted recently by China, tutored scores of Chinese food-safety authorities and even developed the first training manual for meat inspectors in a country whose livestock output is vastly larger than Canada's.
Thought being implemented in 2003, the project has gained priority due to the increase in China's tainted-food crisis. Critics argue Canada's aid may be of little value until China fundamentally overhauls a system in which millions of small suppliers still operate virtually without oversight.
There is a growing trend for tougher inspections and regulations where food safety is concerned and consumers around the world are demanding the maximum safety in food processing.
Sources:
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=545920
http://www.agr.gc.ca/cb/index_e.php
Hawaiian Packing-Plant Recalls Beef Due to Possible E. coli Contamination
Beef packaging plant, Palama Holdings LLC, Kapolei, Hawaii, voluntarily recalled 68,670 pounds of ground beef once in-house testing discovered it could be contaminated with E. coli 0157:H7. The Palama tests results on the ground beef products were not available till after they were already distributed to retailers, foodservice establishments and commissaries in Hawaii.
The beef products, subject to recall, were produced between April 9, 2008 through to April 21, 2008. This is a CLASS 1 RECALL1 and the health risk has been set to high.
1CLASS I Recall: This is a health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences.
Sources:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Recall_014_2008_Release
http://www.meatingplace.com/MembersOnly/webNews.details.aspx?item=20445
FSIS Outlines Plans to Broaden Scope of Meat Cuts Tested for Strains of E.Coli
The US Food Safety and Inspection Service ("FSIS") plans to look closely at how primal cuts are handled and tested before deciding whether it should define E. coli 0157:H7 as a compound in beef regardless of the type of product or intended use of the product.
Though no decisions have been made, it is agreed the current system is not working. Right now intact products distributed for consumption as intact product is not considered corrupt if it is contaminated with E. coli.
Says FSIS Deputy Assistant Administrator Daniel Engeljohn "I don't want to leave this problem and I don't want to have a prolonged, fruitless deliberation on this subject. We have a problem. Let's work quickly and thoughtfully to find the right prescription to solve it."
http://www.meatingplace.com /webNews/
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service public meeting
Expanding Focus on Six Groups of E.coli Bacteria
FSIS Under Secretary Richard Raymond opened the meeting by saying,
"You certainly may hear things you don't agree with... Progress won't occur if we're just wanting to avoid discomfort by maintaining the old status quo. The E. coli bug is obviously not satisfied with the status quo and neither should we be."
The testing is said to focus on six groups of E. coli bacteria - 026, 0111, 0103, 0121, 045 and 0145 - which are responsible for 75 percent of non-0157 illnesses. The true incidence of non-0157 human illness is difficult to define, due to limited awareness and non-uniform surveillance.
Source: www.meatingplace.com/Membersonly/webNews/details.aspx
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service Public Meeting
The meeting held in Washington, April 9 - 10th 2008 is a public forum to discuss the issue E.coli Testing. The Food Safety and Inspection Service ("FSIS") are looking at improving policies for food safety
If approved the agency plans to:
- Define applicable products from slaughter/dressing and further processing operations
- Issue a Federal Register Notice in the form of an interpretive rules
- Establish an effective date that ensures sufficient time to address seamless implementation for both domestic and imported products
- Issue compliance guidelines
- Issue policy implementation instructions and train FSIS inspection personnel
- Conduct outreach to the regulated industry
There will be a thirty day period of time for comment after the meeting.
www.meatingplace.com
USDA sets meeting to air next steps on E. coli 0517
Mar 28, 2008 (CIDRAP News)
WASHINGTON, DC
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) plans to hold a public meeting Apr 9 and 10 to gather major stakeholders to consider the agency's next move in the serious battle against Escherichia coli 0517:H7 in beef.
"It is time for another series of bold, strong moves based on knowledge and science to produce further significant reductions in illness attributed to the products we regulate," says Dr. Richard Raymond, USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety.
In 2007 there was a surge in E. coli contamination and associated illnesses and meat recalls, including a 21-million-pound ground beef recall by Topps Meat Co. 1 As a result of the surge, the USDA has promised a number of new safety steps, including increased product testing and faster meat recalls.
Other notable issues being discussed will include the "growing evidence" that raw beef products such as primal cuts (major sections of the carcass) and boxed beef should be considered adulterated if they have E. coli contamination, which they are currently not.
Original Article from CIDRAP: http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/contents/fs/food-disease/news/
mar2808ecoli.html
1 Topps Meat Co.: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topps_Meat_Company