April 17, 2010

USDA finds major problems in domestic meat inspection

Consuming beef in the US comes with the risk of ingesting toxins because of cracks in the federal government's meat inspection system.

There is a growing concern related to the safety of the meat supply in the country, according to the USDA. There also was a call for better coordination among the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the US Environmental Protection Agency and the FDA to help alleviate the current danger.

One major problem is that the FSIS has not established thresholds for many dangerous substances, including copper and dioxin, as well as nearly two dozen pesticides. As a result, federal meat inspectors are approving beef with harmful contaminants.

The same beef, however, can't make it south of the border. In a previous case, Mexico refused a shipment of US meat because it contained unacceptable levels of copper, while nothing in the US inspection system prevented the very same meat from making its way onto the domestic market, according to the FDA.