OPINION: Broken food chain - (Arizona Republic)
October 22, 2007 – 6:03 pmCongress, the White House, industry groups and consumer advocates are all looking at ways to improve the nation’s food-safety system, but these efforts need to result in comprehensive changes, not piecemeal patches.
The editorial says that the current system lacks coordination, uniformity and authority. It is understaffed and focused too much on fixing problems instead of preventing them.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture monitors meat safety under a system that allows meat processors to design their own food safety plans. Many in the meat industry have strict guidelines and test meat for pathogens at various stages in the butchering process, but there is no federal requirement for such tests, according to the American Meat Institute.
For the complete editorial, please go to http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/1022mon1-22.html
MORE:
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/foodsafety/news/fsnews.cfm?newsid=22051
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