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Consumer groups, inspectors’ union to rally against poultry inspection changes
Story Date: 3/29/2012
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Source: Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE, 3/29/12
Federal food inspectors represented by the American Federation of Government Employees union will join consumer watchdogs to protest proposed changes to the poultry inspections process.
A rally outside the USDA headquarters in Washington D.C. is planned for 11:30 a.m. Monday, April 2, hoping to raise awareness of a regulation proposed by USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.
The groups say the changes will partially privatize the poultry inspections process and drastically increase the number of birds federal inspectors must examine.
The proposed rule would shift line inspectors’ focus to microbiological contamination from organoleptic defects affecting the marketability of poultry products. As opposed to two or more online inspectors sorting carcasses with visual defects, the new system would have one inspector conducting carcass-by-carcass inspections, leaving sorting to the companies and allowing other inspectors to monitor off-line pathogen reduction efforts.
Another view
The National Chicken Council, however, has a more positive view of the proposed rules.
"FSIS has said its proposal to modernize poultry slaughter, which emanates from over a decade of data from a successful pilot project, will protect public health by improving food safety,” National Chicken Council spokesman Tom Super told Meatingplace. “FSIS estimates that thousands of cases of foodborne-related illnesses will be prevented each year as a result. The National Chicken Council looks forward to expressing our views and any concerns with the proposed rule in comments filed during the official comment period.”
The agency estimates the move will prevent more than 5,200 foodborne illnesses per year.
Comments on the proposed rules are due by April 26.
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