DeLauro Statement On Troubling Findings In New USDA IG Report

Press Release

Congresswoman DeLauro (D-CT) released the following statement in response to a report from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of the Investigator General (OIG) on testing of certain beef products for E. coli. DeLauro is a longtime advocate for ensuring our food supply is safe and a former Chair of the subcommittee responsible for funding the USDA.

"This report identifies numerous shortcomings that directly affect the public. It reinforces the clear need to label mechanically tenderized beef products rather than continue to place the health of consumers at risk. The report also highlights that we need a better understanding of the scale of production and the risk associated with these products. I find it staggering that the OIG identified a nearly 82 percent inaccuracy rate for the establishments in the Public Health Information System that they sampled. Data errors that threaten the health of Americans are unacceptable and we clearly we must do better by American families."

The USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) is responsible for ensuring the safety of meat and poultry products sold in the United States, including ground beef and mechanically tenderized beef products. This report is specific to E. coli testing of non-intact beef products. The OIG's key findings can be found on page six of the report.

Inaccurately labeled mechanically tenderized beef products may appear to be intact cuts of beef, creating a health risk for consumers. The USDA recommends that non-intact beef products, including mechanically tenderized beef products, be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. This is because pathogens, like E. coli O157:H7, may be introduced into the product during the tenderization process. DeLauro has been working to require labeling of these products, including this letter to USDA and questions during a recent subcommittee hearing.

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