USDA gets toasted

Rep. Rosa DeLauro has turned her attention to the USDA and meat inspections. From her office:

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (Conn.-3) issued the following statement about the Department of Agriculture’s three week delay in announcing the massive, record-setting 21.7 million pound ground beef recall.

“The American people rely on the Food Safety Inspection System to act expeditiously when potentially contaminated meat is identified. It is beyond belief then that despite five illnesses in five separate states, FSIS withheld this information from the public for 18 days after confirmation of the contamination. Since then 30 people in eight states have become ill from E. coli and we are left wondering how many of those could have been prevented if FSIS had acted aggressively.

“And yet again in the face of unprecedented recalls, the government agency responsible – this time the Food Safety and Inspection Service – has said it will study and assess the situation; even though many of the reforms that would minimize the risk of E. coli contamination are already known. It is time to end the discussions and meetings and begin to act to ensure the safety of our food supply.

“Four years ago, in 2003 the National Academy of Sciences recommended a testing program for beef trim, which has not been fully implemented. Nor has the agency been enforcing its own 2002 directive to grinders that they either establish their own E. coli testing program or assure that their suppliers are performing the testing. It appears that Topps did not have certificates that prove its suppliers had tested the material sent to them.

“We know the steps necessary to begin minimizing the risk of food-borne illnesses and we must act now to strengthen our food safety system.”