Mexico Suspends Beef, Poultry Shipments to U.S.
On August 29, 2008, the government of Mexico voluntarily halted shipments of meat and processed poultry to the United States. This decision came after U.S. officials conducted their annual audit in Mexico between June 24 and July 31.
Questions were raised regarding the quality of Mexican food processing and the quality of their inspections. The Food Safety and Inspection Service documented systemic problems with sanitation controls and recordkeeping.
Amanda Eamich, a spokeswoman for the service, released a statement saying, “safety concerns in multiple establishments were not identified by Mexican in-plant inspection personnel, demonstrating that Mexico’s system to verify its plants were producing safe food in a clean facility was insufficient.”
While Mexico takes the necessary steps to improve their food safety, it is unknown how long the suspension will last. The audit report has not been completed and will be posted on the agency’s Web site within sixty days.
The consumer advocacy group, Food & Water Watch, first raised concerns about Mexico’s exports of meat and poultry in late August with the department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.
“While we are pleased that the Mexican government decided to suspend its exports voluntarily on August 29, USDA should have taken more decisive action to protect American consumers from unsafe meat imports,” said Wenonah Hauter, the group’s executive director.
America imports roughly two percent of the nation’s beef and poultry from Mexico.
Read original article here
Questions were raised regarding the quality of Mexican food processing and the quality of their inspections. The Food Safety and Inspection Service documented systemic problems with sanitation controls and recordkeeping.
Amanda Eamich, a spokeswoman for the service, released a statement saying, “safety concerns in multiple establishments were not identified by Mexican in-plant inspection personnel, demonstrating that Mexico’s system to verify its plants were producing safe food in a clean facility was insufficient.”
While Mexico takes the necessary steps to improve their food safety, it is unknown how long the suspension will last. The audit report has not been completed and will be posted on the agency’s Web site within sixty days.
The consumer advocacy group, Food & Water Watch, first raised concerns about Mexico’s exports of meat and poultry in late August with the department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.
“While we are pleased that the Mexican government decided to suspend its exports voluntarily on August 29, USDA should have taken more decisive action to protect American consumers from unsafe meat imports,” said Wenonah Hauter, the group’s executive director.
America imports roughly two percent of the nation’s beef and poultry from Mexico.
Read original article here
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10:27 AM
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