Lawmaker: USDA shouldn’t cover food safety

[isilzha]

Lawmaker: USDA shouldn’t cover food safety

Call for change in precautions after nation’s largest-ever meat recall



updated 7:35 p.m. CT, Tues., Feb. 19, 2008

A lawmaker called Tuesday for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to be stripped of its responsibility for food safety in the wake of the nation’s largest-ever meat recall.
The agency’s twin mandates of promoting the nation’s agriculture and monitoring it for safety have become blurred, Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro said.
“Food safety ought to be of a high enough priority in this nation that we have a single agency that deals with it and not an agency that is responsible for promoting a product, selling a product and then as an afterthought dealing with how our food supply is safe,” said DeLauro, a Connecticut Democrat who chairs the House subcommittee responsible for the USDA’s funding.



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[Callisto in NC]

I really wish I could find the original story of what happened. I'm at a loss to find it. I just know I'm only eating at home for a while.

[Chefnot]

To be honest NC, I'm at a loss here as well. I understand the animal cruelty but can't understand the recall.

[Food Network Fan]

They say not a single person has became ill. If the issue they need to address is cruelty I don't know why they needed to do a recall for that. It does really seem strange.

[BerryBaby]

I think they are doing a recall just to be safe. With conditions being what they are reporting, there must be more that we don't know and probably wouldn't want to know!

[Chefnot]

Safe from what? From everything I have read nothing has mentioned anything close to a pathogen. There should have been an IIC on that dock, that's another I don't understand. And the one article from another board said the animals had been passed by FSIS inspector/vet. I certainly see what you are saying Berry, I just can't get it to add up.

[Food Network Fan]

I think because some of the animals couldn't walk they feared mad cow. I know they didn't have any instances of it but I guess they are afraid if they didn't make sure and it did show up it would be too late then.

[Chefnot]

EDITORIAL: Meat recall
Food recalls have become synonymous with sickness in recent years, so public worry over the removal of 143 million pounds of beef from store shelves this week is understandable.
In 2006, bagged spinach was pulled from supermarkets after leaves tainted with E. coli bacteria left scores of people ill in more than half the states. Last year, a salmonella outbreak that sickened hundreds led to a huge peanut butter and peanut product recall. And just last week, grocery chain Trader Joe's announced it would stop selling single-ingredient items imported from China over concerns about the adequacy of that country's food inspection system, which failed to catch contaminated pet food and fish, among other products.

ReviewJournal.com - Opinion - EDITORIAL: Meat recall

From article:

Consumers would appreciate knowing that this recall is taking place to revoke the USDA's seal of inspection from the meat, not because of the risk of illness.

That is the long arm of...

The largest recall in history? Will it have effect on market prices? I'll stop, I love that Suzie girl.