It’s the Yanks vs. the Brits
American Meat Institute (AMI) folks were up in arms about a British article, “BSE crosses the Atlantic.” That article, they say, reflects the views of outspoken European scientists – activists, if you will – who condemn both the United States and Canada for not getting tough enough on bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)-related rules and regulations.
In a no-holds-barred comment on the article, AMI Foundation President James Hodges said, “The proposals so righteously demanded by these scientists, who have little familiarity with the U.S. beef industry, would wreak economic and environmental chaos for the sake of feel-good policies aimed at controlling an imagined BSE epidemic in this country.” Never in eight years of surveillance has the United States discovered a single case of BSE, he added.
Proposals the scientists make that AMI has little use for:
• Testing of all live cattle in North America;
• Banning advanced meat recovery systems for removing edible beef from bones;
• Incinerating all cattle brains, spinal cords, and spleens;
• Banning meat and bone meal from all food and feed.
Broken Record-Keeping
On the heels of the Canadian BSE find, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) put out a federal register notice with the long-winded bureaucratic title, “Need to Complete New Registration Form and Importance of Compliance with Recordkeeping and Registration Requirements Under the Federal Meat and Poultry Products Inspection Regulations.”
Why a new form, and why a reminder to comply with regulations long in place? Besides the usual reasons of protecting public health and guarding against misbranding of meat or poultry products, FSIS notes, “…should BSE be introduced in the United States, registration information and business records will be crucial in tracing the source of BSE and in preventing its spread.”
New forms will be due back to FSIS by March 2004. Look for increased enforcement of record keeping. Comments on the notice are due by August 25.
Blame the Animals
It was inevitable. Right there on the front page of the Washington Post: “Infections Now More Widespread: Animals Passing Them to Humans.”
Recent weeks have brought news of a BSE-infected Canadian cow, monkey pox from pet prairie dogs (which likely caught it from an African rat), SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) possibly traced to dining on civets (a mongoose-like animal) in China, and West Nile virus spread by mosquitoes from infected birds.
Reasons given for the increase in animal-to-human disease transmissions range from pressure on habitats by increased human population to a growing penchant for so-called exotic pets to increased global travel. But renderers should take note of one “reason” the article gives: “Modern industrialized agriculture distributes contaminated food more widely than ever before, exposing people to dangers such as mad cow disease and E. coli.”
Whither Goes McDonald’s
The fast-food giant with the golden arches has spoken. It intends to serve customers meat and poultry that hasn’t been raised with antibiotic growth promotants. And to put muscle behind that intention, McDonald’s is telling its direct suppliers – who mainly supply chicken – they can’t use antibiotics except to treat or prevent disease. When corporate types pick “indirect,” or independent, suppliers of mainly beef and pork, they will consider avoidance of growth promotants a “favorable factor.”
McDonald’s officials say the new policy will be worldwide by the end of 2004 and they won’t be relying on suppliers’ say-so. All suppliers must keep records and submit to regular audits.
Linda Tollefson, deputy commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, predicted that McDonald’s action “will set the tone in the marketplace.”
School Lunches Get Beefy
• USDA is reducing the average fat content of ground beef items by two percentage points – to 15 percent, except for lean beef patties, which remain at 10 percent.
• Contractors supplying the meat will be evaluated as to product quality and wholesomeness.
• Starting in January, school districts may opt to buy irradiated ground beef. USDA has finally lifted its ban on the treated meat.
Uncle Sam Wants You Healthy
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which is generally noted for juggling appropriations and budgets, i.e., dollars, turned its attention recently to federal dietary guidelines. In a letter to both USDA and Health and Human Services, OMB official John Graham asked that the guidelines include more omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, flaxseed, and canola oil and fewer trans fats, such as those in margarine, salad dressings, and baked goods.
The Food and Drug Administration plans to expand food labeling to tell the consumer if a product contains trans fats and/or omega-3 fatty acids. The hope is that Americans will eat more healthfully and cut down on obesity.
Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson has called upon the fast-food industry “to do what is right for Americans.” By that, he means encourage Americans to eat healthier, lower calorie meals. Obesity, he noted, is an increasingly expensive health problem.
A recent study, funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that about nine percent of all health expenses are related to problems caused by smoking; another nine percent to obesity.
August 2003 Render