USCA Sends Letter Over Concerns with Mexican Beef

The United States Cattlemen's Association (USCA) has sent a letter to leaders at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and Food and Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) over concerns associated with contaminated Mexican cattle, lamb, poultry, and swine.

According to Food Safety News, a total of 54 people from six municipalities have fallen ill after consuming meat contaminated with Clenbuterol, a beta2-agnoist used as a food additive in some livestock feed to promote muscle mass and meat yield. The practice is illegal in the U.S. and Europe.

In the letter, USCA President Brooke Miller stated:

"Allowing contained meat into our borders is unacceptable for a nation that prides itself on producing the highest quality, most sustainable, and safest beef in the world.

"We ask that APHIS and FSIS seriously evaluate the public health risks associated with importing beef and meat from Mexico, including conducting an equivalence verification to ensure that Mexico is still maintaining a regulatory food safety inspection system that is on par with the United States’."

Source: USCA