Do You Know What You're Eating?

Across Europe, people were horrified to find horsemeat in the beef used in their tacos, hamburgers, frozen lasagnas and even IKEA brand meatballs instead of beef. If horsemeat was found in U.S. food products, sales of beef-based foods would likely be brought to a standstill, and everyone would be eyeing their next burger with suspicion. So how safe is our food?

1. Can horsemeat be eaten safely? Horsemeat is usually safe to eat. There are some concerns about the drug pheylbutazone, a painkiller used to sedate horses being transported for slaughter, being unsafe for human consumption. The drug, if taken by humans in the right doses, causes serious blood disorders. Reports state though that the amount of pheylbutzone in horsemeat doesn’t pose a threat to people.
    
2. How safe is our meat? There’s always a small possibility that horsemeat could be hidden in packages of meat in the U.S. although it isn’t likely. Meat in the United States has rigorous inspections to pass, including DNA tests in some instances. U.S. Food Inspectors are physically present in slaughterhouses during processing. If they feel that something suspicious is going on, they can shut down the plant. Meat is also labeled so the package shows its place of origin.
    
3. What about meat that is imported? The U.S. does buy imported meat; however, the meat is inspected at the border by the Agriculture Department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. If something doesn’t appear right, then the meat is tested. Food safety standards are regularly evaluated, and onsite audits take place about every three years.
    
4. Are fast food places more likely to have horsemeat in their burgers because of the vast amount of beef that is used? Burger King says this about itself, “We have conducted unannounced audits of all of our suppliers globally, including in the United States, to ensure their meat is 100 percent beef.” The company says most of its U.S. restaurants use domestic suppliers but some of the meat is from Australia and New Zealand, and that meat is DNA tested for horse meat. McDonald’s said in a statement that the company, “only works with a select group of approved beef suppliers that adhere to our stringent standards.”
    
5. What steps are being taken to prevent this from happening in our country? George Dunaif of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, which represents the nation’s largest food companies, says the industry takes a lot of steps to ensure the integrity of products. Mr. Dunaif says “Suppliers must provide certificates showing that the products they are selling are labeled correctly and companies can demand certain standards. It’s also illegal to sell misbranded food, and most brands depend on consumer trust for survival. A scandal like the one in Europe can ruin companies.”

So if you are in the food industry and want to know you’re selling 100% ground beef, make sure you are buying from a reputable company that is approved by the U.S. Agriculture Department. It doesn’t pay to cut corners, and your reputation is at stake. 

Photo courtesy of zole4 / freedigitalphotos.net.