USDA Announces 'Test and Hold' Plan To Curb Meat Recalls

In an effort to reduce the amount of consumer illnesses and deaths due to contaminated meat, the USDA has announced a "test and hold" rule that will delay sending meat to grocery stores until it is tested for dangerous bacteria.

In a statement released April 5, the USDA believes that 44 of the most serious food recalls from 2007 to 2009 could have been avoided, had this new process been in place.

Obama Foodorama clarifies, "Under current procedures, producers are allowed to ship raw cuts of meat into the marketplace after testing but before results have been verified--and then recall these if test results reveal contamination."

The Wall Street Journal explains that these tests usually take 24-48 hours to conduct, which sometimes resulted in meat processors not wanting to wait.

The lack of pushback from the meat industry suggests that this is a necessary policy adjustment and in fact most of the meat sector supports it, but Food Safety News adds that most processing plants already have these procedures in place, and this new plan will mostly effect smaller plants.

Chuck Jolley, also of Food Safety News, explains how "test and hold" can be successful:

The bottom line: To make this proposal work in the real world, tests are needed that are quicker and more accurate. They're coming; the lab rats of the world are working feverishly on something that's as near immediate as possible. What we also need is a well-funded USDA that can put highly trained and skilled personnel on the floor to test and return the results at near the speed of commerce, regardless of the method of choice.

Comments

[xstevejx]

08:41 PM on 04/10/2011

Say goodbye to ANY food regulations if Republicans have their way!

[owiseone]

01:21 PM on 04/10/2011

Why do we need an FDA to tell us something is contaminated AFTER we get sick? What kind of science is the FDA using if it uses the public as guinea pigs, when it is the public the FDA is supposed to be protecting?

Recalls are NOT the way to enforce food safety. Barn doors and all that.

[janinstl]

11:28 AM on 04/10/2011

Good idea! BTW I just heard that McDonald's gets its beef from China. Snopes confirms this.
WTH?

[owiseone]

01:25 PM on 04/10/2011

Much of the seafood in our groceries is also from China, and probably much of what we are served in restaurants is as well (because it is less expensive).
I would worry about cannibalism of feed in these animals, particularly cattle and Mad Cow Disease. (I wonder what the CJ incidence in humans is in China).

[stape45]

01:27 PM on 04/10/2011

If it's the same meat they serve their own people, it's probably a lot safer than ours.

[Mom of 5]

08:39 PM on 04/07/2011

Many of my loved ones eat meat. For their safety I would LOVE to know every precaution it taken.
But then I feel the meat industry mistreats
1.The Animals
2. The Workers
3. The Consumers
All of the above deserve some RESPECT. I hope I live long enough to see them get it.

[MLukhman]

03:29 PM on 04/07/2011

Why not just ban it?

Their is a good reason why it's banned in Europe?

[MtnGeek]

11:13 AM on 04/07/2011

Suggests???? What does the USDA think their job is?

[tster1965]

05:33 PM on 04/09/2011

I know, I couldn't believe it when I read that.

[gemini68]

10:25 AM on 04/07/2011

What a novel idea: TEST the meat before it goes to stores! Genius!

[MeinNH]

08:56 AM on 04/07/2011

What a concept!

[ruskie44]

07:33 AM on 04/07/2011

what a novel idea..

[stape45]

10:05 PM on 04/06/2011

Well, not-too-many of us have to worry about livestock taking our jobs, because they could never pass a drug test.

[lovelygirl33]

08:52 PM on 04/06/2011

Glad to hear it! When does it start? Should be done for eggs, nuts, and produce as well.

Within the last two years, people have been sickened and the FDA has had to issue over 600 recall notices for: eggs, beef, various fish, various cheeses, lunch meats, peanuts, pistachios, cantalope, peppers, spinach, alfalfa, soy, and bean sprouts, brocoli, green onions, frozen wafflles, choc chip cookie dough, etc, etc.

Food manufacturers need to be monitored and regulated - when profit is the motive, your health isn't.

[MizK]

09:03 PM on 04/06/2011

I should be mandatory soon.

[MizK]

09:03 PM on 04/06/2011

It

[jpenning]

08:40 PM on 04/06/2011

Its about time! As we continue to cut programs and having less and less people in the USDA to check our food, maybe we would have less recalls and people getting sick and even dying from these bacterias in our food.

[lovelygirl33]

08:55 PM on 04/06/2011

Well said! Fanned and faved!

[XcessiveHeat]

08:24 PM on 04/06/2011

Sugggest Testing Meat? For all you know, you could be eating road kill.

I am so glad to be a vegan.

[Dhammi]

08:59 PM on 04/06/2011

Road kill is sometimes better than the meat in stores!

[hagagaga]

08:48 AM on 04/07/2011

Thanks for being a vegan, more steak for me!

[ZenCrusader]

08:20 PM on 04/06/2011

I am shocked that this was not already standard procedure. in retrospect, how stupid of me to have assumed they had an intelligent procedure already in place.

[MizK]

09:04 PM on 04/06/2011

Perhaps you should've taken the time to read the article and discover that it's been going on for some time. The "holding" procedure is being made mandatory...that's all.

[StopThePlanet]

09:59 PM on 04/06/2011

Actually the article said it was voluntarily being done by some. Are you a shill for the meat packing industry or what? You certainly are pretty abusive to people who just want their food to be safe.

[scorpioman]

08:10 PM on 04/06/2011

BREAKING NEWS: The Republicans will now be tested before entering Congress.