One Way to Avoid Meat Recalls: Wait for Test Results

The federal government may move to keep meat off the market until its tests confirm the meat doesn't have harmful bacteria, a step that officials say could have prevented some of this year's 53 meat recalls.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which regulates meat and poultry, may require meat producers to hold product that's been routinely tested by the government until test results come back, says Kenneth Petersen, assistant administrator for the USDA. "It's not in anybody's interest to do all of these recalls."

Ten of this year's recalls, largely small ones with no associated illnesses, resulted from routine USDA testing, recall records show. The USDA tests thousands of products annually for bacteria, including E. coli O157:H7, before the meat leaves plants.

Companies can legally ship meat ahead of test results, which take a few days. Most tests are negative. When tests are positive and meat has been shipped, recalls follow. "They made a business decision that turned out to be the wrong one," Petersen says.

Large companies, such as Hormel, already hold meat while it's tested, says Mark Dopp, senior vice president of the American Meat Institute. Several years ago, the USDA and AMI advised companies to hold meat pending government testing. More companies did but not enough, Petersen says.

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