- Chapter Six RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION Although the contamination of meat and poultry is a complex problem, it can and should be addressed at every stage of the cycle from the feeding of livestock to the preparation of raw meat and poultry products. The United States Department of Agriculture, industry, state and local public health officials must work together toward eradicating the conditions that lead to foodborne illness from meat and poultry contamination. The New York City Department of Consumer Affairs recommends the following: Federal Standards, National Microbiological Testing Federal microbiological standards for raw meat and poultry should be introduced and legal limits on pathogens should be set. These limits must be realistic and reflect the best technological methods available. Currently, the USDA provides the meat and poultry industry with "guidance" on microbiological quality control; these recommendations serve only as advice. Until standards are statutorily mandated, processors will have little incentive to revise their current procedures. Federal funding is necessary for the development of more expedient diagnostic tests to examine the presence of pathogens. Currently, methods to detect, identify, and quantify the organisms are cumbersome and time consuming; microbiological testing may take up to seven days. More research on "emerging pathogens," such as Campylobacter and HEC (E.coli O157:H7), is needed in order to fully understand their impact on human health. Methods which would reduce pathogenic bacteria during the production and processing of meat are also needed. Animal Feed The USDA should prohibit the use of contaminated products in rendered feed and impose stiff penalties for the use of contaminated feed. This measure would reduce the presence of bacteria, particularly Salmonella and Campylobacter, in animals. The General Accounting Office (GAO) recommended such action in its 1974 report. A prohibition of contaminated feed for animals is a critical step in the control of foodborne illness. This measure would have a significant impact on the levels of bacteria on meat and poultry; European countries which eliminated Salmonella from animal feed found drastically reduced amounts of the pathogen in the end products. The Pre-slaughter Stage The USDA should establish national standards for the sanitation of the environment in which animals are raised. Animals should not be over-crowded in cages or pens; the sharing of food and water and the prevalence of excrement results in the spread of bacteria. The breeding environment should be made rodent-proof. The Processing Stage In order to remove internal organs, industry should utilize eviscerating equipment that minimizes the smearing of pathogen-laden feces on the carcasses. The "chill-water" used to lower the body temperature of slaughtered chickens should be changed frequently to prevent Ideally, a continuous "shower" of water should be used during the chilling stage, despite the higher costs of using more water. cross-contamination. Transportation The USDA should prohibit the use of vehicles contaminated from previous cargo or infested with rodents for the transport of live and slaughtered animals. It is counter productive to ship clean meat and poultry in filthy conditions. - Greater resources should be provided to state and local agriculture and health agencies so that laws on temperature maintenance can be rigorously enforced. Temperature maintenance during transport is critical in order to discourage the growth of organisms that may be present at the time of shipment. The feasibility of requiring trucks to have built-in refrigeration should be explored. Tracking - Certificates of origin should accompany all livestock and poultry through the retail stage. Currently, it is almost impossible to find the source of contamination once an animal has been slaughtered. A method which traces products from the point of retail sale back to the animal's original production unit would make possible the discovery of the point at which contamination occured and allow for a recall if necessary. The 1985 National Academy of Science (NAS) subcommittee studying the nation's meat and poultry inspection program came to the same conclusion. The USDA is currently researching the feasibility of such a tracking program. Retail Stage Retail stores must maintain the temperature of products in their freezers and display cases. Sanitation regulations regarding the cleanliness of cutting boards, blocks, grinders, saws, and counters must be monitored carefully at retail stores. Consumer Education Because meat and poultry contamination is so prevalent, signs should be required to be posted near retail meat cases explaining how to avoid foodborne illness. Warning labels should be required to be placed on individual packages to alert consumers of the hazards related to handling the products improperly. More educational programs which stress the potential for health problems -- particularly for highly susceptible groups resulting from contaminated meat and poultry are necessary. Currently, the USDA educational efforts are failing; the public remains inadequately informed of ways to avoid food poisoning. National Surveillance · A more active surveillance system to discover the rate of foodborne illness should be adopted nationwide to provide more reliable statisitics. This would be useful in a cost-benefit justification of greater resources dedicated to research and the improvement of the national meat and poultry inspection program. *** As this report reveals, consumers eat contaminated meat and poultry everyday. Although certainly underestimated, at least 6.5 million Americans suffer from food poisoning annually; half of these cases are caused by unwholesome meat or poultry products. Having started this report as an attempt to integrate existing research on the problem, we soon discovered that those we rely upon to assure the wholesomeness of the meat and poultry we eat have abdicated their responsibilities. Foodborne disease, as shown in this report, is not only a serious problem of great magnitude, but also an expensive one. Estimates of what it costs all of us, in terms of lost wages, medical expenses and personal health, range from one to ten billion dollars a year. While too little attention has been paid to the problem of contaminated meat and poultry, and too few resources have been devoted to its eradication, the situation is far from hopeless. The recommendations contained herein show how we can be guaranteed that the chicken and beef we buy is not contaminated by harmful bacteria. The one point that stands clear is that foodborne disease can be dramatically reduced. To do so, however, requires the concerted action of government, industry and consumers and the dedication of necessary resources. While a quarter of the annual reported incidences of food poisoning originate in New York City, it is clear that contaminated meat and poultry is a national problem which can best be solved by federal initiatives. State and local governments also have a role to play in helping to ameliorate the conditions which create and perpetuate this silent public health hazard. REFERENCES AAAP (American Association of Avian Pathologists, Inc.). 1985. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Salmonella. July 19-20, 1984. New Orleans, Louisiana. Sponsored by the American Association of Avian Pathologists, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. Allsmeyer, D. Personal Communication. Webb Laboratories. Archer, D.L., J. E. Kvenberg. Incidence and Cost of Foodborne Diarrheal Disease in the United States. Journal of Food Bryan, F.L. 1981. Current Trends in Foodborne Salmonellosis in Carter Center, Emory University. "Closing the Gap". Health Task Forces, Infectious Disease Section. Unpublished data. 1986. Cohen, M.L., R. E. Fontaine, R.A. Pollard, S.D. VonAllemen, T.A. Vernon, E.G. Gangerosa. An Assessment of Patient-Related Cost in an Outbreak of Salmonellosis. 1978. New England Journal of Medicine. 299:459-460. HHS DHHS (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). 1985. DHHS (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). 1984. Proceedings of the Second National Conference for Food Protection. May 9-11, 1984. Washington, D.C. FDA Contract No. 223-84-2087. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. Food Chemical News. 1984. Federal Efforts to Cut Salmonella In Meat, Poultry Hinted by USDA-er. Food Chemical News. 1985. 26:61-62. USDA Poultry Inspection at 180 Birds 27:32-33. Food Chemical News. 1985. Acetic Acid in Scald Water Eyed as Solution to Poultry Salmonella by USDA. 27:6-7. |