Meat Inspectors Oppose Paying for Food Safety Training

WASHINGTON, DC - [VNU Business News - June 1, 2004] - U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) meat inspectors claim that it is unwilling to train its inspectors adequately on critical public health issues, such as monitoring for deadly bacterial pathogens in meat and poultry, according to news reports.

The meat inspectors made their case based on a recent memo sent out by management that they said shows the USDA favors industry over food safety.

The memo, obtained by United Press International, reportedly informs inspectors in California that the agency will not reimburse them for travel expenses or give them time off from their normal duties to attend a training session held during weekday working hours. The session is intended to help clarify new regulations for testing for the potentially lethal bacteria, Escherichia coli 0157, and fecal matter on meat and poultry products.

The memo indicated that inspectors are free to attend a separate session on Saturday that is intended for industry personnel, but cautions "seating preference will be given to the industry." Moreover, the memo notes there also will be no reimbursement or time off to attend the industry session.

The memo has caused concern among USDA inspectors, who have long-been at odds with USDA management.

"It's kind of just another continuing slap in the face to us," said Paul Carney, president of the Western Council of Food Inspection Locals, which represents USDA meat inspectors in California and surrounding states. The Western Council is part of the national inspectors union, which is called the National Joint Council of Food Inspection Locals.

Carney was quoted by UPI as saying that inspectors have paid close attention to the fact the USDA refuses to pay for agency inspectors to get additional training, yet is funding 11 industry workshops on Saturdays across the country.

"It's just another example of how they are catering more to industry than they are their own employees," he charged.

Carney added that this type of treatment has become standard procedure, so most of his members, rather than being angered by it, have become accustomed and even immune to it.

Carney noted that USDA management has already demoralized much of the membership.

The session for the inspectors, scheduled to be held on Friday, June 4, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Los Angeles, was set up to help them understand three new directives the agency issued for monitoring for E. coli and fecal matter contamination of meat and poultry products.

Fecal matter contamination of meat can be a serious threat to public health because, in addition to E. coli, it can carry other lethal pathogens, including Salmonella and Campylobacter. Together, these three bacteria cause more than 2 million infections annually and nearly 800 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

While a USDA spokesman said inspectors had received training material in the form of a CD-ROM, Carney pointed out that not all of them get time to review the disc. It is up to the discretion of the supervisors and they might not grant inspectors down time to review the information because they have other duties to complete, he said.

Felicia Nestor, senior policy adviser to the Government Accountability Project, a consumer advocacy group in Washington, DC, that works with federal whistleblowers, was critical of the USDA decision to make inspectors pay for training. "I don't know whether it's more outrageous or sad," she said, noting that E. coli and fecal matter can have serious consequences for public health.