By Martha Rosenberg, CommonDreams
At least 10,000 food distributors sold recalled meat from the shuttered Hallmark slaughterhouse in Chino, CA including ConAgra, General Foods, Nestle and H.J. Heinz and it could still be on store shelves.
But Richard Raymond, USDA undersecretary for food safety, told an
incredulous House Appropriation’s agriculture panel this week the information is “proprietary” and would not be released.
Naming names could drive customers away and just “confuse” people say trade groups like the American Meat Institute, Food Marketing Institute and Grocery Manufacturers Association.
The Bush Administration also opposes publicizing retailers’ names in meat recalls.
But an appeal to protectionism was not what the panel wanted to hear.
“This is a very, very critically important issue,” said Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-New York) demanding a list of implicated distributors by next week. “If we have stores that are selling bad products, we should know about it.”
This is not the first time shield laws have protected industry profits at the price of public health during mad cow scares.
Shield laws protected the identities of Texas and Alabama ranches that produced mad cows in 2004 and 2006 and the identities of 11 restaurants in nine California counties that served meat from a confirmed mad cow in late 2003.
34 Comments
March 9, 2008 at 3:14 pm
That does it. No more eating meat from public restaurants.
March 9, 2008 at 3:46 pm
Is Catsup affected as well? If giving up eating were the solution, I’d do that – I want to live as long as possible. For some reason that does not seem a logical choice.
March 9, 2008 at 3:55 pm
But Richard Raymond, USDA undersecretary for food safety, told an incredulous House Appropriation’s agriculture panel this week the information is “proprietary” and would not be released.
Naming names could drive customers away and just “confuse” people say trade groups like the American Meat Institute, Food Marketing Institute and Grocery Manufacturers Association.
This is patently stupid and Raymond should be fired. Since when does protecting the consumer from unscrupulous corporations come second to protecting the corporations who poison consumers? They should be named, so that we, as “educated consumers” can make better choices in what foods we buy. I mean, why shouldn’t consumers have the right to know that if they buy meat from certain meat sellers, that they might die? How is protecting the businesses that are poisoning people more important than warning the public about which foods to avoid?
I find it hard to believe that the Bush Administration’s handling of this is in compliance with both the letter and the spirit of the law. I really do.
March 9, 2008 at 4:16 pm
It is not really the FDA’s fault of itself. The Bush Administration that has more than abetted the problem through underfunding.
March 9, 2008 at 4:41 pm
I just wrote my bud Lex to ask him about other things like lamb, pork, etc. If there is any “safe” meat out there that guy should know.
I am in Houston now and going over the menu at the hotel and thinking…nope, nope, nope.
As much as I **LOVE** meat, jeez, it’s not worth dying over. I am considering going vegetarian. And I gotta tell ya, that would be painful…I am an omnivore.
Seafood from China and Thailand is possibly tainted (that fell off the radar some time ago…shiny objects, I suppose). Downer cows. God only knows what else.
Maybe people will start keeling over from Mad Cow by the time the elections roll around. Maybe THAT would make the FDA actually do something for us.
I am shamelessly stealing this from Bucky, but Buck Fush!
March 9, 2008 at 4:45 pm
I’m beginning to look at all the annoying neighborhood range cattle in a different light… the warm soft glow of the barbeque.
March 9, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Ooops, I am so used to working with the FDA, it’s ingrained. USDA…please continue to screw me in the a$$. No, I don’t need any KY, honest.
March 9, 2008 at 5:04 pm
I already informed Cats about the risk from seafood thrown out of the back doors of restaurants. Those clams and oysters that you get from Asia are raised in sewerage. The shrimp are almost as bad. Fortunately, I live close to May Port. For blue crab, I go to a local crabber here in Saint Augustine.
March 9, 2008 at 5:12 pm
From the HOLY CRAP file:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080306/ap_on_re_us/hepatitis_exposure
March 9, 2008 at 5:45 pm
I buy my meat, chicken and pork from local farms and every now and then I splurge and buy the Alaskan salmon from the fisherman. Just another reason to “Buy Local” whenever possible. My coffee and chocolate are “Fair Trade”. If given a choice between a fancy home and good, safe food, I’ll take the good, safe food even if I have to live in a yurt.
March 9, 2008 at 5:47 pm
MsJ – that’s is horrifying news about the Hep C and unsafe endoscopy practices.
March 9, 2008 at 5:53 pm
…even if I have to live in a yurt.
LMAO! I loved that!
And I am so with you!!
http://www.eatwild.com
March 9, 2008 at 6:06 pm
We buy an Angus steer from a ranch down near Tampa. Since there are only two of us now, we coop with three other oldies and split up the beast. This has worked for five years so far and the beef is choice to prime and aged.
March 9, 2008 at 6:22 pm
MsJ – thanks for the link to eatwild.
You mentioned FDA, do you work for pharma? Are you a CRA? I am soon to be retired from 18 years in big pharma.
March 9, 2008 at 6:22 pm
Walt – you are making my mouth water.
March 9, 2008 at 6:23 pm
Walt – I don’t eat seafood thrown out the back doors of restaurants
March 9, 2008 at 6:41 pm
Cats r Flyfishn
March 9, 2008 at 6:23 pm
Then why is your mouth watering?
March 9, 2008 at 6:50 pm
I work with people in compliance or quality, depending on the company. I do alot of work with regulated companies, beit FDA, EPA or others.
Woo hoo! Fun. Fun. Fun!
March 9, 2008 at 8:00 pm
Hey y’all! Do ya like the picture of the meat? Enough to put you off it, eh?
March 9, 2008 at 8:29 pm
Yeah, and I just had a t-bone my folks served me at dinner from Sam’s wholesale – allegedly Prime…
Years ago, I went about a year w/o eating beef – when I ate my first burger after that…I felt like I had come home. I guess my meat and potatoes self if screwed, glued and tattooed re: meat….dammit!
Well, guess we need to chip in for the next round of “Noone could have expected…” pool…!
Here’s my $10, gimme two spots.
This country is in the crapper like a downer cow.
Elspeth
March 9, 2008 at 8:40 pm
Mushrooms and onions kill mad cow, right?
March 9, 2008 at 8:48 pm
Generally, a single beast can not deliver all prime unless it is a Kobe. Domestic pasture raised and fed beef is at best prime in the loins and ribs. The rest usually comes out choice because the leg and neck muscles are exercised in the process of roving the range. In Japan, a Kobe filet will set you back two c-notes, but it is sooo tender.
March 9, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Walt, for the same genetic material and raised more humanely – look for Waygu beef – it’s the same as Kobe, just not raised there – and the beef herd is allowed to move around. There are some ranches in the US and NZ. I read an article about Kobe beef in Gourmet magazine in November – opened my eyes.
Elspeth
March 9, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Walt,
Isn’t Kobe beef fed corn and beer? I’ve heard it’s fantastic.
March 9, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Zooey, the actual “Kobe” beef is raised in wretched circs. Check out the article (lemme see if I can find it online).
Elspeth
March 9, 2008 at 8:55 pm
found it!
http://www.gourmet.com/magazine/2000s/2007/12/kobe_beef_estabrook
Elspeth
March 9, 2008 at 8:55 pm
They don’t let the cows move?
March 9, 2008 at 9:03 pm
Oh lordy, that’s just awful. I stopped eating veal years ago for the same reason. I had no idea.
Thanks, Elspeth.
March 9, 2008 at 9:25 pm
Z,
One, they are not cows, they are steers (ex-bulls). Two, the ‘crates’ that they live in are about five meters on a side. Three, they are not force-fed beer – it is in a chilled trough usually shared by four animals with a common feed. Four, their diet is better than the average American. Five, the Kobe ‘cartel’ does not block visitors from its farms, I have visited some.
March 9, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Has anyone noticed that this site is not on DST yet?
March 9, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Did you look at the article, Walt? It shows a steer with it’s head in some sort of harness.
I could never afford Kobe anyway, so I’m safe.
March 9, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Elspeth – So the Kobe rib eye steak that I had the other evening at an upscale restaurant was actually Waygu? We didn’t didn’t spend 2 C notes for my meal, maybe for both meals etc… combined, but certainly not for the meat on my plate.
Walt – I was drooling over the beef not the seafood.
Zooey – that picture is kind of gross but it won’t make me swear off meat. When I was studying nursing science, our anatomy and physiology class used cadavers. After seeing how much our own muscles looked like the beef in the store, I couldn’t touch meat for many years after that.
March 9, 2008 at 9:37 pm
Hi, Everyone. This is O/T and self-promoting, yes, but I was inspired by an article that appeared on TP (Bozell) and I wrote up a diatribe on my blog. You may return to your regular blogging.
And thank you for pointing out that WordPress is not on DST yet. I thought the last comment was an hour ago.
March 9, 2008 at 9:41 pm
Z,
It is our domestic industry using images from our processing packers. Except for whales, the Japanese are not that cruel.