This article simple talks about the proposal made by the U.S. government in terms of the way they inspect the meat and poultry food. The government proposes the use of microscope in their inspection system in order to catch the bacteria which is the major reason in causing contamination in the food. The said microscope testing is considered one of the vital changes made in about eighty eight year old inspection system. Currently, even though microbes residing in food are approximately sickening at least 6.5 million people and kill 9,000 a year, the government does not call for any testing or any solution it may be to prevent nor track down the said problem for meat and poultry goods.
Here, the article stated that in the next several years the Agriculture Department will little by little require a system known as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points. Under this system, the meat and poultry companies will have to identify the stages in production where in the contamination will likely to occur. Then, they need to formulate a means in preventing that contamination to take place and eventually they have to file and document those said steps that are being implemented. Since the system might take up to 5 years, the Agriculture Department will have to oblige the six thousand two hundred federally inspected meat and poultry plants of the nation to begin utilizing the microbial examination with the use of the microscope, acquire other actions in controlling the temperatures, and standardize sanitation. This provisional program would take at least a year to take off. According to the under secretary, charge in inspections, it is necessary to take an urgent actions in addressing the problem in food safety.
The salmonella is accounted for causing half of the illnesses spread by food and reportedly between a quarter and a third of the deaths are reported to the Government. The Agriculture Department found out that at least 25% of the chickens have been discovered positive in bacteria and less frequent in other species. Thus, the government is obliging an industry wide cut in the rate of the salmonella. They believe that by cutting down the rate of salmonella, eventually the department assumes the numbers of fecal bacteria might as well drop down.
On the other hand, the meat industry is weighing down on how or should they fight against the testing requirement proposed by the government. Although they said that testing is fine, the industry seemingly disagrees the way it is being proposed. The article stated there that in the current system of U.S. government, approximately there are seven thousand four hundred government inspectors feel, touch, and smell more than seven billion animal bodies a year for such signs that the food is unfit. Moreover, food that clears in any contamination will receive a federal stamp of approval, defending the companies against responsibility for any contamination. The government emphasizes that through this short term actions will secure the industry with regulations and at the same time, the new system that the government is proposing will supposedly let the industry solve its problem. For more related articles and facts, visit this address. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=990CE6D81438F936A25752C0A963958260&n=Top%2fNews%2fScience%2fTopics%2fMicroscopes