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The Obama administration, hoping to prevent recalls, consumer illnesses and even deaths from contaminated meat, will unveil a proposal Tuesday to force companies to delay sending beef, pork and poultry to grocery stores while government inspectors complete tests.
The USDA, in a statement slated to be released Tuesday, said it "inspects billions of pounds of meat, poultry and processed egg products annually" and it believes that "44 of the most serious recalls between 2007 and 2009 could have been prevented" if the proposed "test and hold" rule it is unveiling Tuesday had been in place.
The tests usually take between 24 to 48 hours to conduct, but many companies won't wait, sometimes resulting in recalls and serious illnesses.
Much of the U.S. meat sector is behind the USDA proposal.
The USDA, in a statement slated to be released Tuesday, said it "inspects billions of pounds of meat, poultry and processed egg products annually" and it believes that "44 of the most serious recalls between 2007 and 2009 could have been prevented" if the proposed "test and hold" rule it is unveiling Tuesday had been in place.
The tests usually take between 24 to 48 hours to conduct, but many companies won't wait, sometimes resulting in recalls and serious illnesses.
Much of the U.S. meat sector is behind the USDA proposal.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-proposing-new-meat-test-rules-2011-04-05
