In their never-ending quest to tie up all the loose ends disguised as food safety regulations in America, the U.S. Department of Agriculture took a small step forward when it issued new performance standards to reduce the amount of Salmonella and Campylobacter, the most widely reported causes of foodborne illness, in turkeys and young chickens.
The goal of these "beefed-up" standards -- preventing an estimated 65,000 cases of foodborne illnesses combined -- is a good one, in light of the countless number of recent problems connected with dirty foods that may be hiding in your refrigerator (remember those prewashed bagged salads in your crisper). That said, one can make an air-tight argument that these changes were far too late in coming.
For example, these standards were the first ever enacted by the USDA for Campylobacter, and Salmonella rules hadn't been revised for chicken in 14 years. What's more, the USDA estimates half of the nation's poultry plants would fail to meet this new standard for Campylobacter right now.
Feel any safer yet?
Talking about safety and quality -- not to mention more harmful substances you’ll want to avoid -- it's very important for you to do your homework when it comes to picking the right supplement for your health, and CNCA’s Nutritional Supplement Quality -- The Facts will help you do just that.
|
Receive Daily Health Updates from CNCA
|
USDA May 10, 2010
USA Today May 10, 2010
Los Angeles Times May 11, 2010