USDA to disclose which markets sold tainted meat

It should be a little easier for consumers across the country to figure out if they have recalled meat in their freezers under a new system being implemented by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Beginning next month, the USDA will start listing on its Web site retail stores that received meat or poultry products involved in Class I recalls—those of the most serious concern to public health. The USDA says it will post the retail outlet listings within 10 business days of issuing the recall release.

As Jean Halloran, the Director of Food Policy Initiatives at Consumers Union told Scientific American, the new USDA rules are helpful, but need to go further. Specifically, Halloran says the retail outlet disclosures should cover all meat recalls, not just Class I level recalls.

For example, the recent recall of 143 million pounds of beef from the Hallmark/Westland facility in California, which was prompted by video showing cows too sick to stand being illegally forced into the slaughterhouse, was a Class II recall. "All meat recalls that could affect health should be disclosed to the consumer including the information on the names and locations of stores involved," says Halloran.

Consumers Union is also concerned that the USDA has chosen not to list institutions such as schools and nursing homes that have been shipped recalled products. "People want to know if their children or elderly parents might be getting a potentially dangerous food product and can help bring attention to the need for action on a recall at these institutions," says Halloran. "We hope USDA can add such disclosure to its rules in the future."

Shoppers should note that not all meat products come under USDA jurisdiction. Some are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and those are not covered in the new measure.  For example, if there's a sausage recall the USDA list would not include stores that sold the sausage as a closed-face sausage-and-egg sandwich (FDA jurisdiction), but would include stores that sold open-face sausage-and-egg sandwiches (USDA jurisdiction).  It can be confusing but a chart on the FDA's Web site explains which agency is responsible for oversight of which foods.

Despite the drawbacks, Halloran says, "We're pleased that USDA will no longer keep consumers in the dark about recalled meat."