CSPI May Petition USDA on Bone Issue

August 3, 2001

The American Meat Institute says the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) was expected to petition USDA to prohibit back and neck bones in advanced meat recovery (AMR) systems that mechanically remove meat from bones. CSPI was arguing that banning these bones will decrease the risk of BSE to humans. CSPI also reportedly claims in its petition that Agricultural Marketing Service rules permit spinal cord in ground beef destined for the school lunch program - a charge USDA says is untrue.

In a statement, AMI said that banning the backbones is unnecessary and will do nothing to enhance meat safety, although it will increase the risk to workers who would be forced to hand trim bones - trimming that can increase the risk of certain repetitive motion disorders. The Institute also noted that the United States is BSE free and that any product derived from healthy cattle is safe when cooked and handled properly. But AMI said spinal cord is not meat and is not included in any meat product, including those destined for school lunches.

"When you buy orange juice, you don't want to get orange rind; when buy meat, you don't want spinal cord," AMI President J. Patrick Boyle said. "The spinal cord prohibition is not safety-related, because spinal cords and other neurological tissue like brains can be consumed safely in the U.S. if people so choose to purchase these products and if these products are readily identified."

"Taking the actions requested by CSPI would set a dangerous precedent elevating rhetoric and hysteria over science and public health," Boyle said.