Meat&Poultry - March 2014 - 14

Washington
by bERNARD SHIRE

meatpoultry@sosland.com

Making
handling
safer
B

ack in 1994, the US Dept. of Ag-

communicating safe handling of food.

riculture created safe-handling

Committee members agreed that

instructions to be put on packages of

communicating end-point cooking

There also needs to be efforts to es-

raw meat and poultry to educate con-

temperatures to consumers is extreme-

tablish a greater "consumer culture"

sumers about how to handle meat and

ly important. They think it will be very

of food safety - that is, help consum-

poultry products. The label highlights

important for these temperatures to

ers to think more about food safety

the steps of refrigeration, separating

be added to safe-handling instruction

when preparing food and meals. There

raw meat and poultry products from

labeling if available consumer testing

needs to be more sharing of food-safe-

other foods, cleaning and cooking the

data would support this step.

ty expertise and messages, the com-

products thoroughly and keeping them
at safe temperatures.

believes, by working with other groups
to further educate consumers.

Industry should be allowed to pro-

mittee thinks. The committee would

vide additional label information for

also like to see an informational web-

At its recent 2014 meeting in Wash-

consumers by using a well-defined

site on labels established for consumers

ington, DC, USDA's National Advi-

approval process including consumer

who want more detailed information.

sory Committee on Meat and Poultry

testing and performance data. NAC-

"We strongly urge the implementation

Inspection (NACMPI) recommend-

MPI asked if this additional infor-

and timing of any safe-handling in-

ed changes to safe-handling instruc-

mation should be approved formally

struction changes be concurrent with

tions (SHI). Changes would include

by FSIS, or be okayed under the new

new educational means to enhance

eliminating the first statement from

generic-labeling guidelines.

consumer food-safety practices," the

the current SHI, which says: "This

The meat and poultry industry had

product was prepared from inspected

submitted a waiver to propose graph-

committee said.
It's always been the goal of the

and passed meat and/or poultry." The

ic changes to safe-handling instruc-

USDA to keep the safe-handling in-

committee would like to see wording

tion labels. Later, the waiver request

structions for meat and poultry prod-

added directing the use of thermome-

had been withdrawn. But members

ucts as simple and easy to understand

ters for checking temperatures of meat

of the committee think FSIS should

as possible, but there has been a feeling

and poultry products.

that changes in the SHI are warranted.

possible alternative approaches aug-

And that's why the agency asked its

safe-handling instructions to apply to

menting SHI that would communicate

national advisory committee to take

all foods and all high-risk groups. And

risk-reduction behavior to consum-

a look at the instructions and recom-

they'd like federal food-safety regu-

ers. Beyond safe-handling instruc-

mend improvements to be made. ■

latory agencies to simplify and stan-

tions, FSIS should pursue measures

dardize SHI symbols with the goal of

to provide information to consumers

one universally recognized method for

14

revisit the waiver in order to evaluate

The group's members also want

about product safety, the committee

* Meat&Poultry * March 2014 * www.MeatPoultry.com

Bernard Shire, who is based in Lancaster, Pa.,
is M&P's Washington correspondent. He also
works as a food-safety consultant.
http://www.MeatPoultry.com
Meat&Poultry - March 2014

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