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.jsp
http://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's
undersecretary for food safety. "Cooking will kill the virus, if
there 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 Agriculture
Committee.

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

"It is an outrage that the U.S. is going to open our borders to
imports of poultry from China -- a country that lacks the fundamental
safety functions in its processing plants, has questionable export
practices, 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 he
does 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 Department
http:/www.usda.gov

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