THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 28, 1995 TAG: 9509280014
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 39 lines
America's standards for meat inspection, already considerably below a number of other countries of the world, are under attack for further reduction, all in the name of regulatory reform.
Sweden's 800 cases of salmonella poisoning annually compares to our estimated 3 million to 4 million.
The Netherlands' death rate for an E. coli-related condition is 68 compared to our 500 (adjusted for population size).
The communal water chilling of poultry, standard here but prohibited in most of Europe, results not only in inflating the weight of poultry and the selling of water at poultry prices but also in salmonella contamination in the United States of from 15 percent to 80 percent of all poultry offered to the consumer, depending upon which study one believes.
An attempt to mandate microbial meat and poultry inspection, in effect in some countries, and effective in the European community next year, was beaten back in the recent Congress by powerful Western meat and Arkansas poultry interests, which plead prohibitive cost and self-poverty while the largest meat companies' stock has more than tripled in value in the past year. That 60 E. coli outbreaks in the United States since 1993 have sent hundreds of people into intensive care has not convinced many in Congress to put public safety before PAC-contributors' concerns.
Consumers are being poorly served by our Congress in the areas of food inspection and environmental protection. We should remember these events at election time.
WALTER ZADAN
Virginia Beach, Sept. 20, 1995 by CNB