Statement of Beef Industry Food Safety Council Members
Presented at FSIS Public Meeting on April 10, 2008
Leaders Join Together at Beef Industry Safety Summit
Summit Concludes with Updated Best Practices and Industry-wide Pledge on Animal Welfare
DALLAS, TEXAS (March 7, 2008) – More than 160 leaders, representing all beef production segments – including cattle producers, feeders, processors as well as retailers and foodservice operators – convened at the fifth annual Beef Industry Safety Summit March 5-7 in Dallas, Texas.
Members of the beef industry explored solutions to safety challenges as well as reviewed and updated best practices based on the latest science. University scientists presented research results on pre-harvest and processing interventions as well as pathogen data which will be used to enhance beef safety systems. Experts on emerging issues including multi drug-resistant pathogens and non-O157 E. coli shared information that will allow the industry to proactively address these challenges. Attendees also had an opportunity to hear from a live consumer panel highlighting perceptions and beliefs about food safety.
The Summit is funded in part by the beef checkoff and hosted by the Beef Industry Food Safety Council (BIFSCo), which is a coalition of beef producers, university and government scientists, trade association representatives and industry leaders. BIFSCo has been helped implement and provide education on technological innovations that continue to advance the safety of beef.
In addition to addressing safety interventions and research, beef industry leaders pledged their ongoing dedication to animal welfare, recognizing long-standing efforts such as the Beef Quality Assurance program which began in 1986 and is funded by cattle producers through the beef checkoff.
“The focus of this meeting has always been to review current science and find ways to enhance beef safety from farm to fork. This Summit and the efforts conducted during this meeting are just one example of how the industry comes together to provide safe, wholesome and high-quality beef to families around the world,” said James O. Reagan, Ph.D., BIFSCo chairman and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association vice president of research and knowledge management.
Attendees at the Safety Summit reaffirmed their commitment to animal welfare by signing a pledge that states: “As leaders in the beef industry representing each link in the beef production chain, we are committed to animal welfare. We reaffirm our dedication to quality animal care, using and improving sound handling and management practices that have been in place for years. We will continue to work in cooperation with our partners to make sure every animal is treated humanely so that consumers can continue to have confidence in the people who produce beef.”
Industry leaders leave the Summit today charged with a renewed commitment to working together to advance beef safety and animal welfare standards. “We take our responsibility to quality animal care very seriously,” said Ashby Green, DVM, vice president of producer education, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. “We’ll continue to educate the industry to improve our well-established animal welfare standards, especially in light of the recent beef recall.”
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