Questioning Effectiveness of Meat and Poultry Handling Labels

“Cook meat and poultry thoroughly—meat to at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit, and poultry to at least 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Using a meat thermometer is the best way to ensure that large cuts of meat are done. Greyish color and clear juices show when patties and individual pieces are done.”

This warning indicated that more detailed information can be put out in a simple, precise way that would not require different labels for many products. Why didn’t the USDA use this? Jeremy Rifkin, then the leader of a consumer coalition group called Beyond Beef, criticized the USDA on this as he stated how the information was insufficient, thus creating a weak message. His group even demanded that “Cook thoroughly” be replaced with more explicit instructions.

Though many newspapers across the country reported that the USDA’s decision was motivated by the 1993 E. coli outbreak, there was one more motivating factor for their decision. In May of 1993, the government agreed to require the Food Safe Handling Labels as part of its settlement of a lawsuit filed by the Beyond Beef coalition in Washington, D.C.’s U.S. District Court. The creation and mandates of the labels were not so much a result of the goodness of the USDA as they were part of a judicial order required by the department to carry out.

On October 14, 1993, one day before the initial rule of the labeling was to take effect, the National American Wholesale Grocers Association convinced a Texas federal judge to issue an injunction to delay the labeling because “unlabeled meat was not a significant health threat, and that the tainted meat outbreak in January was isolated to the Pacific Northwest.” Ironically, though sad, only two weeks later, the Texas State Department of Health issued a statewide warning similar to the one contained in the USDA’s intended Food Safe Handling Labels because of the deaths of two 3-year-old Texas boys from E. coli.

Though some stores voluntarily labeled their meat packages, the required labeling did not start until May 27, 1994—and even then, only ground meat products required labeling. All other meat and poultry products required labeling as of July 6, 1994. According to the Pathogen Reduction Program’s description of consumer awareness in the Federal Register, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) will “inform consumers of the risks associated with unsafe food handling.” However, in order to get the federal judge to release the injunction, the labels had to be designed in such a way that they would state proper handling techniques, but not any health hazards.

“This product was inspected for your safety. Some animal products may contain bacteria that could cause illness if the product is mishandled or cooked improperly.”

This message does not warn consumers of the possible dangers associated with meats in general. Instead, the issue is now discussed in terms of a public health, not an industry or USDA, problem.

I was dissatisfied that the labels do not identify any potential hazards. Neither E. coli, nor any other foodborne pathogen is named on the labels. I was not surprised that the labels don’t explain how the bacteria get into the meat in the first place. What angered me the most, however, was that the labels do not describe the severity or the consequences of the problem to consumers. While I focused on the fact that words such as “may” and “could” make the problem sound insignificant, I also understood that not every package of meat will be contaminated. I had already been unwillingly dragged into the meat version of the game Russian Roulette—I knew far too well that there is a great difference between something that “could cause illness” and something that could cause toddlers to suffer and, in too many cases, die.