Food & Water Watch is asking the USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) to revoke the recognition of privatized inspection practices used in several countries that export red meat to the U.S. Those countries are Canada, Australia, and New Zealand; government officials there have replaced government meat inspectors with company employees. A petition was filed June 6, 2014. These systems have been inspected by U.S. officials and found to be flawed. The Canadian High Line Speed Inspection System had numerous violations for improper sanitation, humane slaughter violations, and lack of enforcement of regulations. The Australian Expert Meat Inspection System is problematic; an email in December 2012 from Dr. Langbridge, Veterinary Counsel for the Australian Meat Industry Council … [Read more...]
Pork Products Recalled Due to Misbranding
Transatlantic Foods of New York is recalling 449,000 pounds of pork products for misbranding, in addition to the 222,000 pounds of uninspected pork and poultry products. The pork products used labels with false "no antibiotic" claims. No illnesses have been reported associated with the consumption of these products. You can see the long list of products that are being recalled at the USDA web site. The recalled products include Aux Delices des Bois Artisinal uncured bacon in various flavors, and fresh and dried sausages under the brand names Aux Delices des Bois and Chestnut Valley in various flavors. The fresh sausages include breakfast sausage, bratwurst, Irish banger, chorizo, bacon sausage, Italian sausage, and kielbasa. Dried sausages recalled include guanciale, salami, Genoa … [Read more...]
Recalled Pork and Poultry Produced without Inspection
Transatlantic Foods of New York is recalling about 222,000 pounds of pork and poultry products that were not federally inspected, according to the USDA. One of their establishments in New Jersey had not been issued an FSIS Grant of Inspection. That operation was producing product and using labels approved for use by, and bearing the establishment number of, a facility in Pennsylvania. Any food produced without inspection is considered unfit for human consumption. In addition, the company was producing products in undisclosed locations without inspection. You can see the long list of products, along with package codes and product sizes, at the USDA web site. The products include Aux Delices de Bois products and Chestnut Valley products, and include duck fat, uncured bacon, breakfast … [Read more...]
Bolzano Salami Recalled; Produced Without Federal Inspection
Bolzano Artisan Meats of Wisconsin is recalling 5,723 pounds of salami products for misbranding and because they were produced without the benefit of federal inspection. The products have the Wisconsin state inspection shield, but they "incorrectly bear the Cooperative Interstate Shipment (CIS) program version of the USDA mark of inspection, which requires federal acceptance into the program." That establishment is not part of the CIS program so these products cannot be sold through interstate commerce. The recalled products include 6 ounce or 12 ounce packages of "Bolzano Artisan Meats All Natural Uncured, Old School Salami," 6/6-oz. or 3/12-oz. packages per case (UPC 7935 7389 6360); 6 ounce or 12 ounce packages of "Bolzano Artisan Meats All Natural Uncured, Pamplona Runner Salami," … [Read more...]
Food & Water Watch on FSIS Inspector Shortages
There is a problem with inspector shortages at the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). This fact threatens the safety of all Americans, since inspectors are on the front line against foodborne pathogens in the food supply. A letter sent to Representative Robert Aderholt (R-AL), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Agriculture and Rural Development from Executive Director Wenonah Hauter states, "after finally making some progress on long-standing problems with inspection staffing for U.S. meat, poultry, and egg products facilities in FY 2012, FSIS embarked on a policy not to hire permanent inspectors to fill vacancies, but instead to hire temporary inspectors to fill the positions. This was based on the agency's plan to drastically change the way inspection is conducted in … [Read more...]
Congress Acts To Avoid Meat Inspector Furloughs
Congress has acted to avoid the furlough of U.S. meat inspectors this summer by approving a $55 million shift in funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Without that action, the USDA would have had to schedule furloughs for all meat inspectors beginning in mid-July. Under federal law, plants that process meat, poultry and eggs cannot operate without the presence of federal inspectors. A 15-day nationwide shutdown of meat and poultry plants would cost the industry more than $10 billion and industry workers more than $400 million in wages, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a letter to Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski in February. Senators Mark Pryor (D-AR), Roy Blunt (R-MO), and Chris Coons (D-DE) drafted the Senate version of the … [Read more...]
