The US Agriculture Department has abandoned plans to seek additional powers from Congress to chastise meat processors who have contamination problems.
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The USDA yesterday [Thursday] published a document giving an overview of its strategy for the coming few years to protect public health from bacteria such as salmonella and E. coli.
In the spring, agriculture secretary Ann Veneman had hinted the USDA might request greater powers, saying that inspectors needed more authority to punish troubled meat plants. However, there is no mention in the document of asking Congress for more powers for federal meat inspectors.
Consumer groups such as the Consumer Federation of America have criticised the apparent turnabout, attributing it to pressure from the meat industry, reported Reuters. However, USDA undersecretary Elsa Murano told reporters: “You need to first understand what the problems are before you start figuring out what the solutions could be.”
The agency plans to undertake further research on harmful bacteria in meat and will instigate long-term studies of contaminated meat taking into account the location of different meat plants, and the season in which the meat is processed.
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