News Sources Publish GAO HACCP Report

July 11, 2002

The New York Times and other news sources have published a draft General Accounting Office (GAO) report critiquing USDA's HACCP-based meat inspection program with claims it is poorly designed and supervised and riddled with problems.

According to the news reports, GAO details inconsistent application of regulations across meat and poultry plants. The report also highlights the lack of comprehensive training provided to inspectors, the news reports said.

AMI President J. Patrick Boyle called many of the report's observations "constructive".

"While the report is designed to offer criticism and recommendations for improvement, it is far from a condemnation of the U.S. meat and poultry inspection program. In fact, programs as robust as U.S. meat and poultry inspection can benefit and grow from such reviews and recommendations," Boyle said.

He said that one of GAO's most important recommendations is to enhance inspector training. "When the previous Administration began implementing HACCP in 1996 and 1997, the meat industry pressed for better inspector training and even suggested joint training with industry, but USDA opted against it and decided not to train its inspection workforce on all aspects of HACCP.

"Comprehensive training was especially important given the resistance of many in the inspector ranks to the HACCP transition," Boyle said. "Management experts clearly say that the best means of ensuring smooth transitions is to help the people involved understand the reasons for and benefits of major change. Unfortunately, that did not happen at USDA and GAO's report underscores the problems of inadequate training."

Several recent reports show an overall drop in food-borne illnesses and a drop in the prevalence of Salmonella in raw meat and poultry since the HACCP's inception in 1996. "Results are what count most and they say loud and clear we are providing safe and wholesome meat and poultry to consumers," he said.