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USDA report says beef standards are lax

More negative, and potentially damaging, publicity for beef—and it’s coming out of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

According to CNN.com, a new report from the USDA’s inspector general says that some beef may be contaminated with “many potentially harmful chemical residues”.  And it blames the federal government for failing to set limits on the contamination of meat by traces of antibiotics, pesticides or heavy metals.  It says USDA only tests for one type of pesticide and has no set limits for some heavy metals, like copper.

The study focused on contamination by chemical residues, rather than bacteria.

The USDA says it will move quickly to take corrective actions recommended by the inspector general, including testing for more kinds of residue and setting limits on how much of each substance is allowable.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association issued a statement saying that, while U.S. beef is “extraordinarily safe by any nation’s standards”, it supports “the critical role of the federal government in ensuring beef safety.”  The American Meat Institute said the problem “underscores the need to implement comprehensive livestock traceback procedures” with a national animal identification system.