Government Regulation

1. Rachel Lupberger ENVS Thesis Spring 2013 USDA Inspected, E. coli Approved:Mass Media’s Role in Shifting Responsibility and perpetuating E. coli in ground beef E. coli O157:H7 Contamination along the commodity chain E. coli and You Regulations 1884- Bureau of Animal Industry Act 1906 - Federal Meat Inspection Act 1967 - Wholesome Meat Act 1994 - FSIS declares E. coli O157:H7 an adulterant in ground beef 1994 - Microbiological testing program for E. coli O157:H7 1996 - HACCP system mandated 1999 - USDA allows irradiation of raw meat 2004 - Ground beef plants subject to testing for E. coli O157:H7 Most types of E. coli are not harmful, however, a specific type called E. coli O157:H7 is a toxin producing bacteria, which can lead to sickness or death for humans. The most common vehicle for E. coli O157:H7 in the United States is through ground beef. This bacteria lives in the intestines of animals, and then can be transferred to the meat. A study by the Center for Disease Control found that there are about 74,000 cases of illness from E. coli O157, and about 60 deaths per year. Government Regulation • Feedlot • Fecal shedding • Transfer through soil/water • Slaughterhouse • Worker-meat contact • Hide-meat contact • Feces-meat contact • Processing Plant • Worker-meat contact • Meat-meat contact • Food Preparer • Meat-food contact • Cooking at low temperature • Worker-food contact • Consumer • Cooking <155˚F • Person-person contact • Raw meat-food contact Methodology Findings & Implications Using the LexisNexis database, I searched for the name of the outbreak and year of each case study for all of my sources. My media sources were the New York Times, USA Today, and NBC News. After collecting all of my articles, I conducted thematic coding for the mention of an action, the critique of an action and the recommendation for an action. Reducing the whole meat system to six actors, each action was connect to a single actor. I. Media focuses on actions by governmental agency – USDA – which leads to the assumption that regulation will improve the situation • However, policy gives USDA little enforcement power • Takes away agency from consumers to change industrial meat system • Takes away accountability of meat industry itself • Media also puts huge responsibility on consumer to cook at proper cooking temperature and to not cross-contaminate • Consumer only has power over raw meat they prepare • Consumer’s food preparation should be the alternative method for food safety, not main method for food safety These whole cuts of meat are not tested for E. coli O157:H7! III. Number of articles decrease for later outbreaks • Jack in the Box outbreak - 149 articles • Hudson Foods outbreak - 104 articles • Topps outbreak - 28 articles • Sign that E. coli O157:H7 is being perceived as an everyday risk - part of normal system • Takes away from urgency of changing meat system, in order to increase food safety . I also recorded what actions were commonly stated in the media. Using excel, I then calculated the percentage of articles that mentioned, critiqued, or recommended actions for each actor and case study. My Case Studies • Jack in the Box 92-93 • lbs meat recalled: O • # of people sick: 700 • # of people dead: 4 • Hudson Foods 1997 • lbs meat recalled: 25 mil • # of people sick:18 • # of people dead: 0 • Topps Brand 2006 • lbs of meat recalled: <22 mil • # of people sick: 30 • # of people dead: 0 References: Coe, Sue. 1995. Dead meat. New York: Four Walls Eight Windows. Kiranmayi, Ch. Bindu, and N. Krishnaiah and E. Naga Mallika. "Escherichia coli O157:H7 - An Emerging Pathogen in foods of Animal Origin.” Veterinary World 3 (2010), 382-389. doi:10.5455/vetworld.2010.382-389 Lashley, Felissa R., and Jerry D. Durham. 2007. Emerging infectious diseases trends and issues. New York: Springer Pub. Co. http://site.ebrary.com/id/10176167. Mamadouh, Virginie. 1999. "Grid-group cultural theory: an introduction". GeoJournal. 47 (3): 395-409. Nestle, Marion. 2003. Safe food: bacteria, biotechnology, and bioterrorism. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.