April 3, 2008

VeriPrime seal launched to assure consumers of food safety
 

Consumers in the US can now be sure that their beef came from cattle that has been raised and processed under stringent new safety standards through the VeriPrime Certified Safeguards seal.

This is a convenient way for consumers to find meat that came from producers adhering to the handling and probiotics protocols, VeriPrime said.

VeriPrime's safety measures protect against E. coli 0157:H7 and other food safety threats. These are applied by a farmer- and rancher-led initiative and encompass ranchers, feedlots, packers and retailers.

The protection measures implemented for the system are based on those developed by the Beef Industry Food Safety Council of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, said VeriPrime.

The biosecurity and animal husbandry processes adopted are also prescribed by BIFCO.

A panel of leading nutritionists and veterinarians also independently evaluated the practices. According to VeriPrime, the integrity of the label is supported by third-party audits.

At present, over 3 million head of cattle are being raised following the VeriPrime standards, VeriPrime reported.

This accounts for 7 million pounds of beef each day that is eligible to carry the seal.