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USDA official: Food safety a top priority
A U.S. agricultural official said science is the foundation of policy making in protecting public health, particularly when dealing with food safety.
Dr. Elsa Murano, U.S. Department of Agriculture undersecretary for food safety, wanted to make one message clear to beef producers attending a weekend town hall meeting at the Houston Livestock Show--the Bush administration "is working overtime" to protect public health and improve food safety, she said.
As the beef industry deals with the post-effects of the country's first-ever case of mad cow disease, Murano said the USDA is ramping up efforts to ensure all food production is safe for the consumer.
Murano said new baseline studies will examine various practices performed at slaughter plants. The studies will be used to further eliminate the potential of E. coli and other pathogens that can be a health risk to the consumer.
"Right now, when somebody asks about the prevalence of E.coli in various parts of the country and what plants do better than others, it's very difficult to say," she said. "The only data we have is regulatory data and it's collected at specific establishments, particularly those more frequently that have had a problem with enforcement of their practices."
A baseline study will give a more "evenly spread look" to see where E.coli is present, Murano said.
Sampling will be done across the country not just at specific plants, but also "examine slaughter practices and some practices that are specific to some establishments," she said.
"They may have an organic, acid-water rinse over carcasses versus plants that may not do that as often. (We want to know) what is the effect of all of those factors. When we do a study so broad in scope, that's when you start getting a clue as to the things you can do to minimize that risk."
Murano said beef producers, starting at the cow-calf level, need to be involved in food safety.
"You are players in this food safety game," she said. "Producers need to see that they are producing food. A lot of times they look at it as just animals, so it's important they play their role. Their role is to follow production practices that minimize as much as possible the pathogens that we have come to learn about."
Murano said when minimizing the opportunity for pathogens to "set up house in the intestinal tract of animals," the cleaner the animals will be entering the slaughter plant and the end-product will be much safer. "We certainly can't completely avoid that in the feedlot situation where they are out in the open and exposed to the environment," she said.
"But there are certain things that have been shown, including research done by various universities, including Texas A&M University, that indicate if you chlorinate water, change the water troughs, you can minimize the introduction of these bugs into the animals."
Richard McDonald, president of the Texas Cattle Feeders Association, said beef quality assurance programs have been in place since 1986, and cattle care guidelines were added in 2003.
A number of quality control points are in enforced throughout feedlots to monitor grain and silage receiving, feed supplements and water supplies.
He said a set of critical control points monitor cattle in how they are processed and treated. Cattle are scored as they go through the chute, he said, and careful consideration is applied to cleanliness.
"Feed and water have to be checked, and there has to be proper cleaning of the water troughs," he said.
Animal cleanliness is another area feedlot operators are paying close attention to.
"If you have proper pen maintenance, that will improve the performance of the cattle," he said.
Date: 4/1/04
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