Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) has asked the General Accounting Office to study the safety of meat and poultry bought for federal meals programs.  GAO was asked to focus on how food borne illnesses are prevented, the procurement practices and procedures used in buying meat and poultry for the programs at the federal, state and local levels.

Harkin specifically asked that GAO provide a summary of recent food born outbreaks and recalls associated with federally supported nutrition assistance programs; a review of actual patterns of procurement at all government levels; whether procurement procedures and practices allow for adequate consideration of food safety concerns; whether the practices adequately take into account any food safety implications of the compliance and performance histories of plants;

Whether resources and procurement procedures and practices permit, or would permit, agencies to make purchases based on enhanced safety such as purchasing steam-pasteurized or electronically pasteurized meat and poultry or purchasing from a supplier with a voluntary pathogen testing program; whether meat and poultry products are managed and handled under conditions that optimize safety;

Whether there is or has been evidence of fraud, deception or other illegal activities relating to food safety and if so, what agencies could do to prevent illegal activities, and whether federal pathogen and chemical (pesticide, drug residue) sampling programs are adequate to assure the safety of foods supplied to the programs.