I don't think there will be any celebration.
The article below is from CNN. It is announcing the expanded recall for JBS products (my initial posting on the topic is below). Interestingly enough the critique in the article is calling for tracking all cattle. That is an endorsement of the electronic tag proposal being floated. I'll post on that after a bit. *Addendum: I finished up a post I began earlier yesterday on the electronic tagging of cattle. Since I had it in draft form in the blog roll but posted it in final form after this topic--it appears as the article previous to this one. Sorry about that. I'm working on the technical difficulties.
Colorado beef company expands recall due to possible E. coli - CNN.com
The article below is from CNN. It is announcing the expanded recall for JBS products (my initial posting on the topic is below). Interestingly enough the critique in the article is calling for tracking all cattle. That is an endorsement of the electronic tag proposal being floated. I'll post on that after a bit. *Addendum: I finished up a post I began earlier yesterday on the electronic tagging of cattle. Since I had it in draft form in the blog roll but posted it in final form after this topic--it appears as the article previous to this one. Sorry about that. I'm working on the technical difficulties.
Colorado beef company expands recall due to possible E. coli - CNN.com
(CNN) -- A Colorado company's recall last week of beef products possibly contaminated with E. coli has been expanded, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said this week.
The recall came as a result of "an ongoing investigation into 24 illnesses in multiple states," the USDA said.
The recall came as a result of "an ongoing investigation into 24 illnesses in multiple states," the USDA said.
The initial recall of 41,280 pounds announced last Wednesday was voluntarily expanded Sunday to include an additional 380,000 pounds of products made by the JBS Swift Beef Company, of Greeley, Colorado, the USDA said.
The recall came as a result of "an ongoing investigation into 24 illnesses in multiple states, of which at least 18 appear to be associated," the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service said in a written statement.
I would have to assume by now that JBS must consider compitant leadership in distribution and cleanliness positions. To have this continued problem on such a massive scale every year is a flag that waves red. Furthermore reputaion suffers of not only JBS but Greeley as well but the kicker is there bottom line. Remember that Japan was it? Closed all imports of beef due to JBS so its no small potatos is it?
I had to look up the Japan issue you spoke of. Thanks for the information. What I found, considering the current recall, doesn't bode well for anyone. The reference is www.meatinternational.com for anyone interested Japan lifted the ban in March of 2009 after new handling processes were established. Apparently it was initiated after cases of Grand Island Nebraska Beef was found inadequate. That is a big market segment offended. But again since JBS isn't a brand on the outside of the package I wonder if the Japanese consumers are even aware where their beef is coming from.
I was really disappointed in the Tribune's articles on the topic. I'd like to seen a quote from a consumer advocate's take on the whole thing and not just industry press releases and potentially conflicted professorial interests. At least the reporting quality improves at national level. But yeah it puts Greeley on the national mindset and not in a good way.
Factory production doesn't work in every industry. Personally I loathe seeing it in our food supply. You wanna make mass sweaters--fine. I won't need a hospital if someone misses a stitch.
I understand the intuitive concept that we need expanding food supplies to sustain our growing population but handing over regulation to the corporate private for profit sectors gives me cold shivers for the very reason you mention. What check and balance do we have on management? They don't answer to us. They answer to their investors and the pseudo industry lobbyists in charge of the USDA scientists.
I'd still rather trust the local people around me to produce my food and process it. Even if I can't get bananas or peaches out of season. At least I know these people are eating the same foods and have a responsibility to face the community. I can pay the higher prices for local small farm foods or I can pay JBS's retailers and the hospital. Bring back the community butcher. I'd pay more to have local accountability and fresh product.
What seems to be missed in this now world economy is the obvious. Why do we ship our veggies and beef to other country's as they return the favor? We have our own yet when the trip takes you to the local market you find yourself staring at Aussie or Mexican beef. Veggies are the same. [lets not even touch the water issues for farmers here]. We are a self sufficiant self sustainable country yet our "leadership" has chosen over the years to participate in this eurpoean modled world economy and to our detriment I might add.
There are no upswings to the debate of world market and food for America. Watch daily as we become third rate by the passing minute. JBS is the bread and butter of Greeley and they will do well to do better. As plain as I can put it.
Well there is an argument that the tax code allows so many tax breaks on fuel costs that the intranational shipment of all types of goods, beef, and vegetables is encouraged. Bringing a peach to American's table in midwinter costs more in subsidies than it does for the peach! I don't know the mechanisms that subsidize international beef shipments. I think there was a contraction in this market after Mad Cow came into the public consciousness. I am a label reader. I like to know the hands my food passes through and who I am giving away more political power to. Every time you shop it has become just like a vote for some politician's relection by funding his/her campaign. Just my viewpoint of course. It takes a lot of energy and time and research to be a conscious shopper. I still don't think JBS is going to clean up their act as long as their ROI is going up. From what I've read in the archives the local politicans aren't going to pressure them and neither, as my article suggests are the consumers. I won't buy mexican beef because of the corrupt inspectors (don't know a lot about Aussie beef). But I can certainly shed a few pounds and switch to chicken and fish or find a local organic beef farmer (is there one?) and take it to my butcher and stick it in the freeze.
From hedge funds to the hedge in the garden. Our veggies people. I say think rackateering. Think along the lines of everybody gets a piece who's anybody. Then you may insert politics into it but the end or outcome is again, the bottom line. Everyone loves money. The easy way is to eat, grow, and raise our own food seasonal or not while everything else touchin American soil is luxory. But the argument will then be made that if foriegn cars, equipmant, labor etc. may be imported then food is the next logical step ergo quid pro quo and again everybodys hands out. I pay attention to politics, local, national, coruption is EVERYWHERE. No doubt. Here in Greeley it is abound. You cant fight that with law.
Find a local farmer, there always willing to sell from the farm, bargain? Depends.
Well in my own view if consumers are always looking for a bargain then we will always, under capitalism, be faced with crap systems and food choices because that demands labor be paid the least possible--including farmers working and selling their own crops. We, as consumers, also have to reconcile that view and decide what priority we want. Fresh good view is pricey and that has a lot to do with land value and the cost of living index... blah, blah, blah. I am going to write more about developing local food options later today I think. It is a great topic. Corruption is another great topic only that one is very frustrating to write about!