It tests ground beef and trimmings now, but Dan
Engeljohn, assistant administrator of FSIS's Office of Policy and Program
Development, told an industry conference this week that it will begin testing
primal cuts by the end of the year.
He said it’s because many customers grind
primal cuts into hamburger. Any harmful bacteria on the surfaces will be blended
into the centre where it’s less likely to be killed by cooking heat.
The company officials objected, saying
that testing trimmings and hamburger ought to suffice.
If and when the increased testing comes
into effect, it will likely apply to all Canadian beef destined for export to
the U.S.
So far, no word from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, but that's not surprising. It simply follows U.S. leads, probably under industry pressure to support trade. Public health? Not an issue!
