Table Of Content^ DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
U.S.
MEAT NSPECTION PROGRAM
I
Y 4. AS 8/1 103-5
:
U.S. Depaptnent of Agriculture Neat...
JOINT HEAKING
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON DEPAKTMENT OPERATIONS
AND NUTRITION
AND THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON LIVESTOCK
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED THIRD CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
MARCH 16, 1993
Serial No. 103-5
/
t
I
Printed for the use of ths Committee on Agricultiire
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
67-477 WASHINGTON : 1993
ForsalebytheU.S.GovernmentPrintingOffice
SuperintendentofDocuments,CongressionalSalesOffice.Washington,DC 20402
ISBN 0-16-041151-3
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
V) U.S.
MEAT NSPECTION PROGRAM
I
'
Y 4. AG 8/1 103-5
;
U.S. Departneat of Agriculture Heat...
JOINT HEARING
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS
AND NUTRITION
AND THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON LIVESTOCK
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED THIRD CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
MARCH 16, 1993
Serial No. 103-5
I
f
Printed for the use of ths Committee on Agriculture
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
67-477 WASHINGTON : 1993
ForsalebytheU.S.GovernmentPrintingOffice
SuperintendentofDocuments,CongressionalSalesOffice,Washington,DC 20402
ISBN 0-16-0A1151-3
COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE
E (KIKA) DE LA GARZA, Texas, Chairman
GEORGE E. BROWN, Jr., California, PAT ROBERTS, Kansas,
Vice Chairman Ranking Minority Member
CHARLIE ROSE, North Carolina BILL EMERSON, Missouri
GLENN ENGLISH, Oklahoma STEVE GUNDERSON, Wisconsin
DAN GLICKMAN, Kansas TOM LEWIS, Florida
CHARLES W. STENHOLM, Texas ROBERT F. (BOB) SMITH, Oregon
HAROLD L. VOLKMER, Missouri LARRY COMBEST, Texas
TIMOTHYJ. PENNY, Minnesota WAYNE ALLARD, Colorado
TIM JOHNSON, South Dakota BILL BARRETT, Nebraska
BILL SARPALIUS, Texas JIM NUSSLE, Iowa
JILL L. LONG, Indiana JOHN A. BOEHNER, Ohio
GARY A. CONDIT, California THOMAS W. EWING, Illinois
COLLIN C. PETERSON, Minnesota JOHN T. DOOLITTLE, CaUfomia
CALVIN M. DOOLEY, California JACK KINGSTON, Georgia
EVA M. CLAYTON, North CaroUna BOB GOODLATTE, Virginia
DAVID MINGE, Minnesota JAY DICKEY, Arkansas
EARL F. HILLIARD. Alabama RICHARD W. POMBO, California
JAY mSLEE, Washington CHARLES T. CANADY, Florida
THOMAS BARLOW
J. III, Kentucky
EARL POMEROY, North Dakota
TIM HOLDEN, Pennsylvania
CYNTHIA A. McKINNEY, Georgia
SCOTTY BAESLER, Kentucky
KAREN L. THURMAN, Florida
SANFORD D. BISHOP, Jr., Georgia
PAT WILLIAMS, Montana
BLANCHE M. LAMBERT, Arkansas
Professional Staff
DiANNE Powell, StaffDirector
Vernie Hubert, ChiefCounsel andLegislative Director
Gary R. Mitchell, Minority StaffDirector
James A. Davis, Press Secretary
Subcommittee on Department Operations and Nutrition
CHARLES W. STENHOLM, Texas, Chairman
GEORGE E. BROWN, JR., California, ROBERT F. (BOB) SMITH, Oregon
Vice Chairman BILL EMERSON, Missouri
BILL SARPALIUS, Texas STEVE GUNDERSON, Wisconsin
CALVIN M. DOOLEY, California WAYNE ALLARD, Colorado
JAY INSLEE, Washington BILL BARRETT, Nebraska
GLENN ENGLISH, Oklahoma THOMAS W. EWING, Illinois
DAN GLICKMAN, Kansas JACK KINGSTON, Georgia
CYNTHIAA. McKINNEY, Georgia CHARLES T. CANADY, Florida
SANFORD D. BISHOP, Jr., Georgia
HAROLD L. VOLKMER, Missouri
EVAM. CLAYTON, North Carolina
TIM HOLDEN, Pennsylvania
CHARLIE ROSE, North CaroUna
BLANCHE M. LAMBERT, Arkansas
(II)
Ill
Subcommittee on Livestock
HAROLD L. VOLKMER, Missouri, Chairman
GARY A. CONDIT. California, STEVE GUNDERSON, Wisconsin
Vice Chairman TOM LEWIS, Florida
EARL F. HILLIARD, Alabama' ROBERT F. (BOB) SMITH, Oregon
CHARLES W. STENHOLM, Texas JOHN A. BOEHNER, Ohio
TIM HOLDEN, Pennsylvania BOB GOODLATTE, Virginia
JILL L. LONG, Indiana RICHARD W. POMBO, California
COLLIN C. PETERSON, Minnesota
CHARLIE ROSE, North Carolina
CALVIN M. DOOLEY, California
KAREN L. THURMAN, Florida
CONTENTS
Page
Allard, Hon. Wayne, a Representative in Congress from the State ofColorado,
opening statement 4
Cl^^n, Hon. Eva M., a Representative in Congress from the State ofNorth
Cfarolina, prepared statement 5
Roberts, Hon. Pat, a Representative in Congress from the State of Kansas,
writtenquestions 36
Smith, Hon. Robert F. (Bob), a Representative in Congress from the State
ofOregon, openingstatement 2
Prepared statement 3
Stenholm, Hon. Charles W., a Representative in Congress from the State
ofTexas, openingstatement 1
Volkmer, Hon. Harold L., a Representative in Congress from the State of
Missouri, openingstatement 6
WiThfESSES
Cassens, Robert G., professor, department ofmeat and animal science, Uni-
versityofWisconsin 51
Prepared statement 151
Cross, H. Russell, Administrator, Food Safety and Inspection Service, U.S.
DepartmentofAgriculture 7
Prepared statement 64
Denton, James H., professor, department head and director, center ofexcel-
lence forpoultryscience. UniversityofArkansas 53
Prepared statement 154
Doyle, Michael P., Member, Food and Nutrition Board, Institute ofMedicine,
National Academy ofSciences, and professor, food microbiology, center for
food safety and qualityenhancement. UniversityofGeorgia 48
Prepared statement 133
Harman, John W., Director, Food and A^culture Issues, Resources, Commu-
ni^, and Economic DevelopmentDivision, U.S. GeneralAccountingOflBce .. 16
Prepared statement 115
Hughes, James M., M.D., Director, National Center for Infectious Diseases,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Public Health Service, U.S.
DepartmentofHealth and Human Services 13
Prepared statement 86
Rodericks, Joseph V., senior vice president. Environ Corp., former chairman.
Committee on Public Health Rjsk Assessment of Poultry Inspection Pro-
grams, NationalAcademy ofSciences 49
Prepared statement 147
Submitted Material
American Public HealthAssociation, statement 159
(V)
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MEAT
U.S.
INSPECTION PROGRAM
MARCH
TUESDAY, 16, 1993
House of Representatives; Subcommittee on De-
partment Operations and Nutrition; Joint With
Subcommittee on Livestock; Committee on Agri-
culture,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittees met, pursuant to call, at 10:05 a.m., in room
1300, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. Charles W. Stenholm
(chairman ofthe Subcommittee on Department Operations and Nu-
trition) presiding, together with Hon. Harold L. Volkmer (chairman
ofthe Subcommittee on Livestock).
Present from the Subcommittee on Department Operations and
Nutrition: Representatives Stenholm, Sarpalius, Dooley, Inslee,
Enghsh, McKinney, Bishop, Volkmer, Clayton, Holden, Lambert,
Smith, Gunderson, Allard, and Ewing.
Present from the Subcommittee on Livestock: Representatives
Volkmer, Stenholm, Holden, Long, Peterson, Dooley, Gunderson,
Smith, Boehner, and Goodlatte.
Also present: Representative E (Kika) de la Garza, chairman of
the committee.
Staff present: Andy Baker, assistant counsel; Julia M. Paradis,
assistant counsel; WiUiam E. O'Conner, Jr., minority pohcy coordi-
nator; John E. Hogan, minority coimsel; Dale Moore, minority leg-
islative coordinator; Glenda L. Temple, clerk; Stan Ray, Rob Wight,
Tim De Coster, Dan McGrath, Curt Mann, Pete Thomson, and
John Frank.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. CHARLES W. STENHOLM, A
REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS
Mr. Stenholm. Good morning. The hearing will come to order.
Today, we are pleased to join with the Subcommittee on Livestock
in our continued effort to review the Federal meat and poultry in-
spection system. We say "continued" and emphasize continued be-
cause although recent events have drawn significant attention to
this issue, we have been working for many years to make signifi-
cant, science-based improvements in our inspection system; but as
many in this room are aware, this issue has historically been very
contentious and complex and, unfortunately, we have not been as
successful as we would have liked.
Overall, we have a very safe food supply at a very reasonable
cost, that many of us take for granted in this coimtry. I want to
stress this point to the media here today. This hearing is not de-
(1)
signed to advance the cause of those whose interests are anything
otherWtehan making responsible improvements in our inspection sys-
tem. are here today because this committee firmly believes that
we have the most abundant and safest food supply at the lowest
relative cost of any other country in the world, but we want to
make it better. If improvements can be made to reflect our best
available science, we owe it to the American consimiers, taxpayers,
and the meat and poultry industry to pursue those improvements.
It is in this context w—e beheve our meat inspection system can
and should be improved brought into the 1990's based on our best
science and technology. This committee wants to help make this
happen.
It is our objective, and it is my objective as chairman of the De-
partment Operations and Nutrition Subcommittee, to provide a
forum for produc—ers and consumers to begin talking to each other
about this issue ^finding common ground and mutual solutions. In
my mind, that common ground should be based on the best avail-
able science, not emotional scare tactics and not standards founded
on business as usual within the industry.
With that in mind, we begin the process today with a hearing
that hopefully identifies the current situation and the science-ori-
ented spectrum of options before us. As we roll up our sleeves and
go to work, it is our intent that this merely be the beginning of a
series of efforts that will lead to this joint subcommittee hearing
and all interested parties ultimately addressing this issue and fi-
nally bringing it to a satisfactory solution.
Mr. Smith.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. ROBERT F. (BOB) SMITH, A
REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF
OREGON
Mr. Smith. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The recent E. coli outbreak, even though caused by improper
cooking, points out the need to be vigilant about consumer con-
fidence and food safety. It is clear that the current meat and poul-
try inspection system, while the best in the world, can be improved.
Any improvement plan should be driven by soimd scientific prin-
ciples, and I agree with you, Mr. Chairman, on that very important
point. It should not be driven by panic, peddling interest groups,
not by the worries over labor relations nor media hype, and not as
a method to tax the hvestock industry unnecessarily.
So I thank you for bringing this subject to the Congress and our
opportunity to look exactly at the issue and to listen to experts,
whom we have here today, to discuss how we can indeed improve
the inspection system and continue the consumer confidence that
we have had held for the last 50 years.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
[The prepared statement ofMr. Smith follows:]
