Protecting Your Brand
by Greg Harbaugh on 08/13/12
An article entitled USDA plays chicken with food safety was published in the Atlanta Journal - Constitution and reprinted in the Raleigh News and Observer yesterday. It talks about the USDA removing inspectors from poultry processing plants and having the facilities police themselves. The fear mongers among us are turning to vegetarians because the 80 pounds of poultry consumed per capita annually will now be feces laden.
The USDA wants to reallocate resources to more directly work on improving overall food safety in the poultry industry.
I completely agree with the USDA's thinking. They need to work on the big picture and let individual companies protect their brand. The naysayers think that because the feds will be leaving plants means that we will revert to child labor filled sweat shops operating knee deep in chicken excrement. Do you think that Frank Perdue's ghost would allow that? I think not. One food borne illness traced to unclean slaughtering conditions will kill the brand and the companies' legacy.
Police yourself with your own people or better yet hire a good consultant. A bit self serving I know, but a guy has to eat you know.
