000720 USDA Sets Zero Bacteria Standard for Federal MeatJuly 3, 2000Washington - The US Department of Agriculture said it would not tolerate any trace of certain illness-causing bacteria in beef purchased for the National School Lunch and federal programs. The move appears to have arisen out of a court case involving a Texas hamburger plant, which won a victory last month when a federal judge ruled that USDA tests to detect salmonella contamination were not a fair way to determine if a meat processing plant was clean. The company, Supreme Beef Processors Inc., is a major supplier of beef to the school lunch program. USDA announced the new standard in an otherwise routine press release on its intention to begin frozen beef purchases for the school lunch and other federal programs. “New USDA microbial requirements, including a zero tolerance for certain bacteria that are responsible for food borne illness, and fat testing procedures will be implemented,” the department said. “These new requirements will provide an extra level of assurance that USDA is buying only the highest quality products,” the department said.
E-mail: sflanagan@sprintmail.com |
