010521 NYC Becomes Battlefield in USDA Fight Over HACCP

New York, NY - New York - Following are comments by John Calcagno, President of the Meat Trade Institute. His comments follow weeks of investigations by USDA in the Greater New York meat industry.

"As you are aware, Washington has sent teams of investigators to the New York area that have resulted in a storm of political controversy regarding HACCP safety initiatives. There has been much turmoil in the ranks of USDA’s inspection service whereby many high-ranking USDA officials and inspectors have openly opposed the government’s attempt to implement the science-based HACCP food safety program.

"Many inspectors have viewed these programs as a threat to their jobs. As the new safety initiatives have been phased in over the last several years, USDA’s Northeast District Manager George Puchta and his staff have been there to support our industry’s efforts to implement these wide-range of safety initiatives. It appears that anti-HACCP forces at USDA are attacking the HACCP program through a well-orchestrated campaign on the part of USDA Inspector General Roger C. Viadero.

"Arbitrary and capricious standards are being enforced by USDA review teams, going so far as to report minute discrepancies and issuing NRs if plant personnel cannot produce backup scientific data on acceptable processing temperatures. Many of the safety issues that have surfaced are trivial when viewed objectively. The USDA has never issued ANY STANDARDS regarding time and temperature in the meat processing industry.

"It appears that the review teams have subjectively implemented their own arbitrary standards, with total disregard to ANY set of identified standards. William Henning, Extension Meat Specialist at Penn State University, points out that: "No one in the USDA has defined what is acceptable pathogen growth. Obviously, zero pathogen growth is NOT possible. Therefore, we must define what is acceptable and what is not. Until we do, everything we do is subjective and arbitrary."

"In the scientific community, it has been widely accepted that for most organisms, the optimum temperature for pathogen growth is above 50 degrees F and that when temperatures are maintained below 50 degrees, generation and lag times are extended, and outgrowth is reduced. Since there is no USDA-recognized time and temperature regulations, many industry HACCP plans opted for increased safety by designating operating temperature BELOW 50 degrees F.

"Obviously, there are inconsistencies with USDA’s review teams on HACCP and SSOP’s standards, thereby creating utter confusion between inspection staff and plant management. For example, Non-Compliance Records (NR’s) are being issued arbitrarily if an establishment makes reference in the HACCP plan to the use of SSOP’s and GMP’s. The ruling has come down from Albany that there is no objection to the use of SSOP’s and GMP’s in Hazard Analysis, provided they are not used as a control measure for a biological hazard.

"USDA sources point out that 40% of the inspection force and sixty per cent of the small establishment staff in the country have limited knowledge of HACCP concepts. It is obvious that formalized training is needed for both the inspection staff and plant management. This training must be offered by industry professionals so that we can finally implement the high safety standards that an effective HACCP plan offers the consuming public.

"It is important that the public, industry and government be aware that Food Safety in New York -- and the entire country -- has not been compromised. Meat establishments in our area have been subjected to an internal battle between USDA and the future of HACCP. Our plants have been providing our area with the safest food available in the world. If the anti-HACCP forces prevail in Washington, the consumers of our nation will become the victims of an antiquated, non-science-based meat safety system. I urge you to join us in fighting the forces against HACCP."

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