DeLauro Statement on JBS Ground Beef Recall

WASHINGTON, DC (October 4, 2018) - Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) today released the following statement regarding the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service's (FSIS) announcement that more than 6.5 million pounds of ground beef is being recalled due to Salmonella contamination. To date, the outbreak has resulted in 57 infections across 16 states.

"Within the span of just a few weeks there have been two large, nationwide recalls related to ground beef. This is a direct consequence of the USDA's abdication of its regulatory responsibility. FSIS has not updated ground beef safety standards that were originally set in 1996 and has provided no timeframe for doing so—despite a 2014 announcement that it would take action. Worse than that, the agency has gone in the entirely opposite direction. FSIS no longer monitors ground beef against the 1996 standard, nor do they require beef processors to designate Salmonella as a hazard in their plant-specific plans to reduce contaminants. That is unacceptable and has put people across the country at unnecessary risk to foodborne illnesses."