August 1, 2009

US bill to allow mandatory recalls by USDA

US Senator Tom Udall has introduced a legislation giving the USDA the authority to initiate mandatory meat product recalls.

The current law does not give USDA the authority to issue a mandatory recall of meat products believed to be harmful.

The decision to recall or comply with requests from the USDA to recall unsafe products is left in the hands of food processors.

This forces the USDA to engage in time-consuming negotiations with meatpackers before pulling tainted meat from store shelves, and it gives meatpackers an effective veto on recalls.

Udall first introduced the legislation in 2003.

When the USDA is unable to remove tainted meat from the market swiftly, all consumers are at risk, and this legislation will give USDA the power to act quickly and decisively to protect the public, Udall said.