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The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking to allow shipments
of processed poultry from China, where thousands of birds
and several people have died from avian flu.
Several legislators are criticizing the proposal, including
Sen. Tom Harkin [D-Iowa], who on Friday said the United
States shouldn't take chances with countries where the bird
flu strain H5N1 is present.
While acknowledging there are safeguards in the plan – notably
a provision requiring that the Chinese product derive from
birds slaughtered in the United States or other U.S.-sanctioned
countries – Harkin charged that USDA has a poor record on
inspections.
"We know that USDA's foreign food inspections have had problems
in the past, and with so many unanswered questions, it is
not wise to allow processed poultry imports from China at
this time," said Harkin, who is the senior Democrat on the
Senate Agriculture Committee. "I am concerned the administration
is neglecting the substantial public health and economic
risks to the United States, which USDA itself acknowledges
but fails to address." |
