USDA backs new testing program despite opposition

By Christopher Doering

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. meat inspectors will begin to intensify monitoring of higher-risk processing plants as early as July, Agriculture Department officials said on Thursday, despite complaints they cannot adequately identify who needs extra checking.

"When you can verify for me that we're standing on solid data, then I will support the move to risk-based inspections," said Rosa DeLauro, a Connecticut Democrat who heads the House Agriculture Appropriations subcommittee.

"Until that time, I am going to do everything I can as chairman of this committee to delay this plan," she said.

The plan calls for federal meat inspectors to devote more attention to facilities based on the type of product, such as ground beef, volume of output and history of operating safely.

Fewer inspections would be conducted on those plants deemed to be safer. The U.S. has more than 6,000 slaughter and meat processing plants, according to U.S. Agriculture Department figures.

Richard Raymond, USDA's agriculture undersecretary for food safety, said the risk-based assessment program would begin by monitoring 254 processing plants for six months, before possibly adding more facilities.

"I believe we have those data" to support rolling out the program, Raymond said. USDA has held multiple meetings with the industry, consumers groups and others to discuss risk-based assessment during the past 18 months.

"We have been open and transparent," Raymond said. "I don't know how we could have had a more efficient process."

Still, there is concern that USDA's data is incomplete, due in part to sporadic testing of some facilities, and not precise enough to know which plants need the most attention.

DeLauro said figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed a recent increase in foodborne illnesses, including Listeria, Salmonella and E. coli, were "very disturbing" and evidence the food supply was not as safe as government officials claim.

"I don't believe the way the program is currently structured that we are going to move to reducing that," DeLauro said.

USDA officials noted, however, that meat, poultry and eggs -- the three areas overseen by USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service -- were showing fewer positive tests for foodborne illnesses and, as a result, subject to fewer food recalls. Bacteria also can spread through other avenues, such as pets or drinking water.

"Risk-based inspection will help drive the numbers down for those illnesses attributed to meat, poultry and egg products. I can make that statement solidly," Raymond said.