탐 빌색 미 농무부장관이 최근 뉴욕타임즈에 실린 병원성 대장균 O157에 감염된 햄버거를 먹고 하반신이 마비된 젊은 여성이야기에 대한 르뽀기사에 대한 성명을 발표했습니다.
뭐… 내용이야 항상 그렇듯이 그런 비극이 다시 되풀이되어서는 안되고 미국 농무부는 오마바가 대통령이 된 이후 식품안전 문제를 개선하기 위하여 노력을 하고 있다… O157에 오염된 쇠고기 분쇄육(갈은 쇠고기)를 초기에 빨리 검출하기 위해 검사와 모니터를 잘 하겠다… 그런 립서비스를 내놓았습니다.
아래 내용은 미 농무부장관이 발표한 성명서 전문입니다.
Statement By Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Regarding Recent E. Coli Story
출처 : FoodOnline - October 7, 2009
http://www.foodonline.com/article.mvc/Statement-By-Agriculture-Secretary-Tom-0001?atc~c=771+s=773+r=001+l=a&VNETCOOKIE=NO
“The story we learned about over the weekend is unacceptable and tragic. We all know we can and should do more to protect the safety of the American people and the story in this weekend’s paper will continue to spur our efforts to reduce the incidence of E. coli O157:H7. Over the last eight months since President Obama took office, USDA has been aggressive in its efforts to improve food safety, and has been an active partner in establishing and contributing to President Obama’s Food Safety Working Group.
“Protecting public health is the sole mission of the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. FSIS has continued to make improvements to reduce the presence of E. coli O157:H7 and the agency is committed to working to reduce the incidence of foodborne illnesses caused by this pathogen.
“Shortly after coming into office, the Administration created a high-level Food Safety Working Group to coordinate food safety policies, focus greater resources on prevention, and improve response to outbreaks. Since doing so, we have taken the following actions:
- Launched an initiative to cut down E. Coli contamination (including in particular contamination from E. Coli O157:H7) and as part of that initiative, stepped-up meat facility inspections involving greater use of sampling to monitor the products going into ground beef.
- Appointed a chief medical officer within USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service to reaffirm its role as a public health agency.
- Issued draft guidelines for industry to further reduce the risk of O157 contamination.
- Started testing additional components of ground beef, including bench trim, and issuing new instructions to our employees asking that they verify that plants follow sanitary practices in processing beef carcasses.
- Designed the Public Health Information System (PHIS) in response to lessons learned in past outbreaks.
“USDA is also looking at ways to enhance traceback methods and will initiate a rulemaking in the near future to require all grinders, including establishments and retail stores, to keep accurate records of the sources of each lot of ground beef.
“No priority is greater to me than food safety and I am firmly committed to taking the steps necessary to reduce the incidence of foodborne illness and protect the American people from preventable illnesses. We will continue to make improvements to reduce the presence of E. coli 0157:H7.”
SOURCE: USDA
