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YUCK!!! A rancid rule change

597 Views 11 Replies 7 Participants Last post by  BETTIE
This can't help IBS!!!A rancid rule changeMEAT INSPECTION THE United States Department of Agriculture says it wants to create a new, science-based food safety system. But unless federal officials give their new meat inspection policies a second look, they may create a vegetarian nation, instead.With 7,000 inspectors responsible for examining 88 billion pounds of meat and poultry every year, there can be no question that the USDA's existing system is seriously strained. But the answer surely isn't relaxing standards or turning over inspections to the very companies being inspected.The most recent, and revolting, development was a report last week that meat from diseased animal carcasses would, under the new rules, be classified as safe. Meat from animals with cancer, open sores and diseases caused by intestinal parasites pose no health threat to humans, according to the new guidelines. Perhaps not, but it could prove fatal to the economic health of the nation's meatpackers. Worse, federal inspectors say meat moves so quickly on packing lines -- 91 birds a minute moving past three inspectors at one plant -- that bad poultry can easily slip through.The agriculture department is also proposing to do away with the existing system under which every animal carcass is examined by a federal inspector. Instead, company employees would do the inspecting, and the federal inspectors would monitor company workers. That plan was dealt a serious setback this month when a federal appeals court ruled it violates the law. Believing otherwise, the appeals court judges wrote, is akin to believing "that umpires are pitchers because they carefully watch others throw baseballs."The case grew out of a dispute with the union representing meat inspectors. Court testimony in that case included a report describing instructions given to inspectors at a plant where the new rules are being tested. Even if they saw bad meat going down a processing line, inspectors were told not to remove it. "They are supposed to let the system work, and the consumer will take care of the bad product," the report stated.But consumers often don't know how to spot bad meat or poultry. That's why the USDA inspection program was established in the first place. Even when the government discovered violations, Cox newspapers discovered, it didn't act. A newspaper investigation found some meatpacking plants were allowed to continue operating even after being cited more than 1,000 times for safety violations.In a report last year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided the latest estimates of foodborne illness in our country. Eating bad food results in 76 million cases of gastrointestinal illness, 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths, the report concluded.And that was before the USDA "improved" its inspection program. USDA officials may have good intentions. But good intentions won't keep the food supply safe.------------------Joe[This message has been edited by Joe (edited 07-18-2000).]
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Hi Joe:I read about that yesterday, and I'm really upset and nauseated by it. If they keep this stuff up, I may go back to being a vegetarian. Unless I can find a place that sells meat that they guarantee isn't diseased.JeanG
G
OH MY GOD! THAT IS SICK!EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!Just another thing to be paranoid about, and I just ate pepperoni pizza, feel as I could barf!
I've always been aware that a certain amount of bad meat makes it through because of inspections, etc. But I think this is way too much.JeanG
Then you do not want to know what the policies have ALWAYS been with chicken (meat)processing plants nor what goes on in the "egg-plant"...Off to my irradiated lunch!
G
I agree with you JeanG! 100%!!!!!I just sent off a bunch of emails to all of family and friends about this!!!!
ugh, ugh, ugh! really helps us, doesn't it?!
most of us need the protein that is found in meat (sometimes, esp. some of us IBSers) -- but, like Jean says, sure makes ya want to be a vegetarian.
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That's just gross. I don't eat much meat as it is, but when I do it's ALWAYS ground beef, overcooked. I neverm ake my own hamburgers as I feel the insides won't be as cooked as the outside.About a month ago, there was a HUGE thing on the news about meat at costco and Safeway between such and such a date was tainted with e-coli and was being recalled. They were going to give us new meat in replacement... Even if we didn't have a reciept. My boyfriend and I had bought 2 or 3 huge (about 3-5 pounds each) bags of meat RIGHT at the time of the e-coli scare, and we ate the whole thing in burritoes, tacos, etc. From what I heard, MANY people were hospitolized, and I think 2 dead because of this.We didn't get sick at all. Ground, and overcooked. You can kill off bacteria pretty easily if it's cooked properly. My mom used to know a guy who would go fishing (used to get a LOT of fish) them leave the fish outisde (covered), or in a pail inside, in a bucket (no water) for a week or two (sometimes longer)... Then cook it up! NOT ONCE did he get sick. The only bacteria you can't kill is botchelism (sp), which is what materializes in improperly canned foods.I think this may be the reason meat is getting the approval. Because bacteria can be killed... No matter how long it's been growing.Just cook your meats VERY well. And barbeques are the worst, by the way. I think this may be why people were getting so sick last month... Being summer and all.
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Joe, That's why when I order a steak at a restuarant,I tell them to cook it WELL DONE! Especially hamburger or chopped steak! Quality these days is slipping. Even the government's trying to save maney and manpower. what's this country coming to?Joe I'm glad to read on another thread of yours that your IBS is under control with the occasional exception every now and then. I can relate to that. The antidep's been a big help in controling my IBS symptoms. Good to hear from you. I hope Lisa's doing fine. Give her my regards. John
I guess Steak Tartare is off the menu, eh, lest one spend time praying to the "porcelain alter".
I am not a big red meat eater but this is so gross. Talking about making a bad situation worse.It brings back memories of all the stories we have heard through the years of children (&adults) getting sick and dying from hamburgers they have eaten at fast food restaurants.I was a vegetarian for many years and maybe it is time to go back to being one.
G
Joe,Thanks for this info----I haven't heard about it.....Like Jean, it's enough to make you become a vegetarian!------------------LET'S ALL PRAY FOR A CURE TO THIS IBS SOON!BETTIE
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