Inspectors’ Union Lashes Out
At HACCP In Meat Inspection

WASHINGTON — Engaging in the same sort of tactics that torpedoed an earlier effort to streamline federal meat inspection, the union representing many of the nation’s meat and poultry inspectors is crying wolf over the "hazard analysis and critical control points" process.

It is a predictable response to any modernization the labor group suspects could reduce the number of dues-paying inspectors.

The union’s timing is not as good this time around, however. The previous scare campaign enlisted network television "newsmagazine" programs to run "exposes" about packing plant contamination that carried a strong hint of "setups" by union members themselves. This time, the criticism hit newsstands just as USDA released data showing that the process under challenge has reduced the widespread incidence of salmonella in chicken.

That doesn’t square well with union cries that HACCP is an unsafe "honor system" giving away power to industry.

The Agriculture Department, American Federation of Government Employees President Bobby Harnage charged last week, is using the system "as a back door to deregulate the meat and poultry industry."

The union has filed a federal lawsuit in Washington aimed at halting implementation of the system.

"This is an abrogation of USDA's duties," Harnage said. "It promises to replace federal meat inspection with an industry honor system."

But Thomas Billy, head of USDA's inspection service, revealed before a House panel that the HACCP system has cut the number of chicken carcasses carrying salmonella since it took effect for the largest plants in January.

Prior to HACCP, roughly 16 percent of chicken carcasses produced at those plants tested positive for the illness-causing bacteria. Since Jan. 26, preliminary testing shows a drop to 9.4 percent of carcasses, he said.

"This is clear early evidence. We've seen significant improvement," Billy said.

"This means that 90 percent of all chicken carcasses have no salmonella on them at all," said Richard Lobb, spokesman for the National Broiler Council.

Billy called the union's claims "an insult" to most USDA inspectors and said HACCP, even though it gives plants greater authority to police themselves, would not result in unsafe meat or poultry.

"Our goal is consumer protection," Billy said. "We will never approve any inspection method that does not meet that goal."

Rep. Charles Stenholm, D-Texas, said federal inspectors and the meat industry must cooperate to ensure the success of HACCP, which focuses on preventing contamination in food processing using science to identify the most vulnerable points and keep detailed records on whether safety goals are met.

"We must allow HACCP to work as it is intended," Stenholm said.

The system is not without its faults, but food safety so far has not been one of them. Most of the problems have arisen because USDA implemented the program without establishing a process for promptly resolving disputes. That has led to costly shutdowns of some plants until high-level bureaucrats could sort out disagreements.

It is as yet unclear how much some of the problems owed to genuine food safety questions and how much to possible efforts on the part of union inspectors to see the system fail.

HACCP will be extended to an additional 3000 smaller meat and poultry plants in January 1999.