USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service Administrator Alfred Almanza has responded to recent criticism of the agency’s proposed changes to the way chicken is inspected in federally inspected plants. Below is the text of a blog he wrote entitled, “Setting the Record Straight on the Proposed Chicken Inspection Rule" originally published by HuffingtonPost.com.

Last week the FDA took its biggest step yet to prohibit medically important drugs from being used to promote animal growth. For clarity, in this context “medically important” means antibiotics that could save your life or mine if we have a life-threatening infection. FDA’s proposal says three documents were sent to the Federal Register on the April 12.

Why is meat inspected? Why does it have to be overseen by veterinarians? Does inspection result in fewer sick people? Do inspectors have pathogen-seeking goggles? How can the system be improved?

Joe Pezzini, chief operating officer of Ocean Mist Farms, Castroville, Calif. and a board member of the Produce Marketing Association, Newark, Del., writes in this opinion piece that building blocks were among our first toys as kids. Plug “building blocks” into Google and websites for toys, daycare centers and raising children surface first.

ABSTRACT

Michael Booth of the Denver Post published an excellent investigative piece Friday about a 2009 E. coli outbreak that appeared linked to lettuce at restaurants in six states, but was never made public. Excerpts below:

WRAL reports that North Carolina state legislators considered changes Thursday to overhaul food safety standards that were implemented over 35 years ago. Larry Michael, a spokesman from NC Dairy & Food Protection, said people are now realizing that "safe food is good business."

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) was asked by the European Commission to evaluate the impact on public health of reducing Salmonella levels in turkeys across the European Union (EU). The presence of Salmonella in turkeys is considered a risk for public health through the consumption of contaminated meat from these animals.

I have yet to meet anyone in the media who would falsely malign a perfectly good cheeseburger. Yet somehow it happened, according to AFA Foods Inc., which filed bankruptcy on Monday, blaming the media.