TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND EDUCATION KEY TO FOOD SAFETY

WASHINGTON D.C. (Sept. 20, 2000) - Providing consumers with a safe food supply relies on education about food safety from farm to table and using sound science throughout the inspection process, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association said today.

To reach this goal, a cooperative relationship between the government, the beef industry and processors is essential, said Gary Weber, NCBA executive director of regulatory affairs.

Testifying before the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee, Weber cited research and science-based standards as areas that need improvement. During the committee’s hearing on food safety, Weber asked members to consider the following:

• Provide additional dollars for food safety research;

• Establish a means of developing more science-based critical limits;

• Create a more rational regulatory framework consistent with the concepts of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) meat inspection system, and enforce it in a more cooperative manner; and

• Create a technical assistance and education program to achieve food safety objectives.

The HACCP meat inspection system, implemented about three years ago, is a good idea but isn’t the sole solution to ensuring a safe food supply, Weber said.

“HACCP is a step in the right direction for beef safety,” Weber said. “Individuals greatly influence food safety through actions in production, processing, transport, handling and cooking of meat products.”

The cattle industry has invested millions of check-off dollars to develop and validate technologies that will reduce contamination of beef carcasses. Steam vacuuming, antimicrobial rinses and steam cabinet pasteurization are among the methods that have lowered contamination levels by more than 99 percent, Weber said.

“The cattle industry supplies safe meat to consumers,” Weber said. “Through a cooperative relationship with the government, we can ensure that the supply is even safer.”

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Producer-directed and consumer-focused, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association is the  trade association of America’s cattle farmers and ranchers, and the marketing organization for the largest segment of the nation’s food and fiber industry.