April 23, 2006

U.S. to allow processed poultry shipments from China

Fri, Apr. 21, 2006

http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/nation/14395086.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsphttp://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/nation/14395086.htm

WASHINGTON - Poultry processed in China will be allowed to enter the United States despite outbreaks of deadly bird flu in China, the Bush administration said Thursday.

Critics said the imported poultry will put public health at risk. The Agriculture Department said the meat would be fully cooked and perfectly safe.

“It will have been processed,” said Richard Raymond, the department’sundersecretary for food safety. “Cooking will kill the virus, ifthere is any virus, in poultry meat.”

The U.S. does not accept live poultry from countries where the virulent flu strain is present. That policy has not changed.

The poultry would be raised and slaughtered in the U.S. or other countries from which the U.S. accepts poultry. It would be fully cooked and packaged or canned in China. Imports will be allowed beginning May 24.

Critics say the U.S. cannot guarantee that Chinese processing facilities will keep Chinese poultry from mixing with U.S. poultry.

“It’s not clear to me the two will be effectively kept separate,”said Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, the top Democrat on the Senate AgricultureCommittee.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., said the imports are dangerous.

“It is an outrage that the U.S. is going to open our borders toimports of poultry from China — a country that lacks the fundamental safety functions in its processing plants, has questionable exportpractices, and a country where a deadly animal disease and possible pandemic is running rampant,” said DeLauro, top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee’s agriculture subcommittee.

The department acted on a request from China, but Raymond said hedoes not expect very much of the product to be shipped to the U.S. He noted that chicken prices have been low.

“With the price of chicken, I don’t know how you could send it across the ocean twice and make money,” Raymond said.

He added that poultry is safe as long as it is properly cooked and basic rules for kitchen safety are followed. The department says cooking poultry to 165 degrees will kill viruses or bacteria.

Chinese President Hu Jintao visited President Bush on Thursday at the White House. In advance of his visit, China made several commitments including an agreement to drop a mad cow disease-related ban on imports of U.S. beef. Raymond said the deal is unrelated to poultry imports and has been in the works since 2004.

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On the Net:

Agriculture Departmenthttp:/www.usda.gov

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