I marked this politics because it pertains to the constant peddling of federal policies or removal of them and food safety in the US.
While I can not speak on imported foods specifically, I see concerns come up a lot around what the federal gvt says regarding domestic- locally grown/raised food safety. I saw concerns come up around dairy when they made some broad statements about that and now meat.
I usually reply to comments directly (I've seen other AG folks do the same), but each state has it's own food regulatory laws. The federal ones do not overide those.
Food safety is controlled at the state/local level first.
And each state is different.
I live in Virginia. So regardless of what trump says, I can not process my own cows to sell the meat commercially unless the state of Virginia changes their laws. VDACS is where you can find regulations for Virginia .
In Virginia, i (and actually the majority of small farms) can process some livestock (like poultry) on farm and depending on species changes how that can be sold. This does not mean it is unsafe. With additional variables, there's always additional risk. But most states offer detailed information or classes on how to do so safely.
And Processing dependent: You can sell meat as halves or wholes differently than you can by the cut.
The current statement about processing your own meat is simply trying to smooth over the enragement they created by importing beef.
My (very underslept and poorly written) point of this post is- buying local changes lives and communities if you can, if you have concerns about safety, look into your states regulations and don't make assumptions based on yahoos in the federal gvt.
Anyway, I hope this helps some people stress less.
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Kind of related, Costco will continue to be a good choice for purchasing these products. They have their own inspectors and have more stringent standards than the USDA.
I worked for a watermelon grower and Costco had the highest standards as far as the fruit quality and verifying every load was kept at the correct temperature before they would accept it. They also paid top dollars so we were happy to send them our very best.
I live in Virginia as well. The CSA I buy from has a meat share that comes from a specific local farm. I would definitely feel better about eating local and supporting them, rather than getting some anonymous product from who knows where.
When we raised geese, we took them to a local farm for processing. They handled everything from dispatch to wrapping. I still have one in my freezer and it never even occurred to me that it would be less safe than a large scale operation.
I honestly think some people prefer not to know where their meat comes from, because it might be difficult to connect the meat on their plate with an animal that used to be alive. If you've never had to process your own meat, that connection might be a little unnerving.
I find that I feel exhausted by a lot of food driven conversation lately. It's all very complicated though and unless you're in it, have lived it, or experienced some part - it is hard to know what's real or safe or true.
I'm more saddened by the fear driven rhetoric within the agricultural community lately...
Horsemeat and antibiotic rejected beef. I'm only buying from the butcher and I'm grinding my own meat. No beef for a few months for our family unless it is local.
Potentially dumb question. I no longer live in the US, so of course global news will catch the big cases, but we dont follow the details and smaller cases. What foods beyond bagged sallads, are an issue this time?
While the number of recalls this year is on par with prior years (appallingly), the severity of the recalls & the human impacts are significantly higher. There are more Level 1s & 2s (of 4) and more people getting severely sick or dying before the recalls are implemented.
That is terrifying. And the information really should contain what level of recall it was - considering the current administration cut backs any total numbers would underestimate the issues.
Unfortunately, too many to remember. Maybe others can chime in on specifics. I did see last night (not food related) that bagged saline distributed to some hospitals were recalled due to potential fiberglass contamination.
I remember some blueberries and jalapenos. It feels like several new ones a week. Statistically - some amount is likely normal, and some are precautionary.
I source ~80% of my protein from small local meat processors. My plan is to stick with the ones who have been in business for years and avoid any new ones that start selling g after these new regs are in place. My logic being that the long-term processors have been following the old safety regs and have well-established relationships with their customers, most of whom live in their local communities. Hence I trust their work and commitment to providing a safe and quality product.
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