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Thursday, May 03, 2012

USDA vows tougher stand on food-borne illnesses

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced guidance this week to strengthen the food industry's ability to trace contaminated products through the supply chain, Michael Fielding of Meatingplace reports. The agency also announced it will no longer wait for confirmation of food-borne illnesses before investigating, saying it wants to take a preventative approach instead of a reactive one.

The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service will routinely test food yields to control outbreaks. If testing reveals a "presumptive positive," the agency will begin investigation immediately, before the food supply gets to the public. FSIS official Dan Engeljohn estimated the agency collects about 15,000 samples of ground beef, with a confirmed positive rate of less than 1 percent. (Read more)

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