New Rules for Meat Inspection Raise Concerns - Brief Article

Vegetarian Journal, Jan, 2001 by Reed Mangels

A recent report of a survey of USDA meat inspectors conducted by Public Citizen and Government Accountability Project (nonprofit organizations) raised serious issues with a revamped meat inspection system introduced by the USDA. This system, called Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP), shifts the responsibility for insuring a safe meat supply from government inspectors to the meat industry. Until recently, beef, pork, and poultry were inspected continuously during slaughter and processing by government inspectors to check for animal disease and fecal matter.

Meat and poultry inspectors were surveyed; 451 responded. On one question, 64% of those responding said that since HACCP began at their plant, there have been instances when they have not taken direct action against contamination (feces, vomit, metal shards, etc.) that they observed, and would have taken action under the old system. Almost all said this occurs daily or weekly.

The report states, "Because of the large amount of meat inspected in this nation, the problems identified with the meat inspection program are very troubling. In 1999, 155 million livestock (cattle, swine, sheep, goats, and horses) and 8.4 billion poultry carcasses were processed." Vegetarianism never looked better!

"New Federal Meat Inspection System Fails to Earn Inspectors' Seal of Approval." Sept. 5, 2000. <http://www.citizen.org/Press/pr-cmep76.htm>

Nester F, Hauter W. 2000. The Jungle 2000. Is America's Meat Fit to Eat?, Public Citizen and Government Accountability Project. Executive Summary at <http://www.whistleblower.org/www/jungleexec.htm>