Europe’s meat and poultry inspection methods don’t do enough to address the threat of foodborne illness and should be modernized, according to The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The EFSA’s scientific opinion, published June 29, is part of a response to European Commission’s May 2010 request that the organization investigate the correlation between meat inspection and public health. The EFSA was asked to identify and rank the main public health risks associated with the current inspection system and pinpointed Campylobacter,Salmonella, and β-lactamase bacteria as primary targets. In an analysis of foodborne illness outbreaks among the 27 European Union members, EFSA found that Salmonella and Campylobacter were were often detected in fresh broiler meat. In 2010, 99,020 cases of … [Read more...]
Probiotics In Poultry May Reduce Food Poisoning From Campylobacter
Probiotics may reduce the level of Campylobacter bacteria in the digestive tracts of poultry and, by extension, the incidence of food poisoning in humans, according to a new study published in Zoonoses and Public Health. Campylobacter live in the intestines of many healthy animals including cattle, poultry and swine. During slaughter, these bacteria are often transferred to cuts used for meat or to whole poultry carcasses intended for sale as broilers, fryers or Thanksgiving dinner. Campylobacter is a major cause of foodborne illness around the globe. In the U.S., campylobacteriosis, the infection caused by ingesting the bacteria, is estimated to sicken about 2.4 million people every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And most of those cases are … [Read more...]
USDA: Grill, Baby, Grill! But Do It Safely
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Meat and Poultry Hotline fields a lot of questions about the proper way to grill meat and poultry, and with the season of summer barbecues kicking off this weekend they have compiled a list of tips and frequently asked questions. Here is a summary of the recommendations: At The Store Choose packages that are not torn and feel cold. If possible, put them in a plastic bag so any leaking juices won't contaminate other foods. Make the meat counter the last stop at the grocery so purchases stay cold as long as possible. Separate raw neat from other food in your cart and bag it separately. If the meat is going for a long car ride, it needs to be stored on ice in a cooler or insulated bag. At Home Refrigerate or freeze raw meat and … [Read more...]
HIMP Criticism and Questions
The USDA's proposed changes to poultry inspection, called HACCP-based Inspection Models Project (HIMP), have been criticized by many consumer groups. The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) released a statement on the changes. Chris Waldrop, Director of the Food Policy Institute at that agency, said, "there has been no thorough independent review of HIMP since 2001 when the GAO reviewed the program and raised serious concerns about the data presented by FSIS to justify the program." The statement continued, "Even more troubling is FSIS's recent admission that plants may temporarily change their food safety processes during FSIS verification sampling. In a notice to inspectors, FSIS noted that plants may be increasing chlorine levels in poultry chillers to levels not supported under the … [Read more...]
USDA Delays Decision on Poultry Inspection Privatization Plan
The USDA has delayed making a decision on implementation of its poultry inspection modernization plan called HACCP-based Inspection Models Project (HIMP). Back in January, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack held a press conference to announce the changes. The proposal has met with a lot of backlash from consumer groups and food safety advocates. So the USDA has extended the comment period for the proposed change to accommodate the concerns of those groups. Two points of the HIMP proposal have garnered the most criticism: USDA inspectors will no longer be checking the birds for visual defects; that will now be performed by plant employees. Line speeds will increase from approximately 120 birds per minute to 175 birds per minute or more. The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection … [Read more...]
FSIS and USDA Proposal to Modernize Poultry Slaughter Inspection Methods
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Elizabeth Hagen held a press conference on January 20, 2012 attended by Food Poisoning Bulletin where they discussed a proposed modernization of poultry slaughter inspection methods. The plan would concentrate Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) resources on the parts of the poultry processing system that pose the greatest risk of foodborne illness. The FSIS is no longer going to have inspectors focus on quality assurance, which they say is mainly concerned with cosmetic appearance, but will instead focus on food safety issues. Vilsack claims that peer-reviewed risk assessments have shown that this change could prevent up to 5200 foodborne illnesses per year. The modernization plan includes these … [Read more...]
