May 4, 2006

US Congress blocks Chinese chicken imports

US lawmakers voted Wednesday (May 3) to block chicken processed in China from entering the United States.

The Bush administration had said last month that it would allow poultry processed in China, provided it comes from birds raised and slaughtered in the United States. Agriculture Department officials had given the assurance that the meat would be fully cooked and perfectly safe.

However, Representative Rosa DeLauro said there is no way to guarantee the safety of chicken cooked and packaged in China. DeLauro noted that Perdue ,a US poultry processing giant recently recalled 26,000 pounds of chicken that may have been undercooked. Since undercooking can occur even in the US, where there are more intensive inspections, it would even be more likely to occur in China, DeLauro suggested.

The risks are higher in China if chicken is undercooked because of the higher number of bird flu cases there, she said.

An agricultural panel approved DeLauro's amendment blocking processed chicken from China.