The Brown County, Indiana Health Department is warning consumers not to buy meat out of the back of a truck. The Brown County Democrat reports that someone has been attempting to sell meat illegally in the area. Jennifer Heller Rugenstein of the Brown County Health Department said in a statement put out by officials, “None … Read more
The advocacy organization Food & Water Watch has released a statement saying that privatized meat inspections jeopardize food safety. Food Poisoning Bulletin has been telling you about the government’s effort to turn inspections of meat plants over to corporations for years. This analysis, conducted on inspection documents and noncompliance reports obtained through the Freedom of … Read more
Sunrise Poultry Processors of Alberta, Canada is recalling about 2,705 pounds of poultry products that were not presented at the U.S. point of entry for inspection. Without the benefit of full inspection, a possibility of adverse health consequences exists. No reports of illness or adverse reactions have been received to date. The recalled items include … Read more
A hidden-camera investigation by Radio Canada showing grocery store butchers altering the “best before” dates on packages of meat and poultry has prompted Quebec’s Agriculture Minister Pierre Paradis to order a probe of meat packing regulations. Although no health problems have been reported, the problem has become widespread. A butcher at one store told the … Read more
Food & Water Watch is asking USDA Tom Vilsack to reassess the government’s positions on equivalency for privatized inspection systems in other countries. Last week, a shipment of beef imported from Canada was found to be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. The beef was produced at the JBS Food Canada plant in Alberta, Canada. This … Read more
The owner of Midamar Corporation of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, William B. Aossey Jr., has been indicted with 19 felony counts by a grand jury in records unsealed October 24, 2014. The charges range from conspiracy to make false statements, selling misbranded meat, and committing mail and wire fraud. Aossey is also charged with making false statements on … Read more
Food & Water Watch sent a letter to the USDA to protect U.S. consumers from Australian meat and to re-evaluate the equivalency of that country’s meat inspection system. Meat companies are abandoning the Australian Meat Inspeciton System (AEMIS) that was found to be equivalent to the U.S. system. This is the fifth time in two … Read more
Food & Water Watch sued the USDA yesterday to stop implementation of the New Poultry Inspection System (NPIS) rules, which would replace government food safety inspectors with company employees. Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch, said in a statement, “these rules essentially privatize poultry inspection, and pave the way for others in … Read more
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has completed an audit of the equivalency of the U.S. meat inspection program. The audit was conducted in February 2013 and was a routine ongoing equivalence verification audit. Government officials make sure that the U.S. meat inspection system is equivalent to Canada’s. CFIA inspected three beef, two pork, and … Read more
Food & Water Watch sent a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack today containing examples of meat and poultry plants that have not been inspected because of severe shortages of government food inspection personnel. These examples “directly contradict statements made by high-ranking officials of the Food Safety and Inspection service (FSIS), both on USDA’s website … Read more