Researchers And Producers Gather At Beef Safety Summit
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Suggested Lead: In Dallas this week nearly 200 researchers and beef producers are taking part in the Beef Safety Summit, which is partially funded through the beef checkoff.
Dina Chacon Reitzel is the executive director of the New Mexico Beef Council, and has attended most of the Summits held over the last dozen years. She said yesterday that much of the discussion at this year’s event related to what can be done before the animals are harvested to reduce harmful pathogens.
Reitzel 1: “The research that we learned about today and that we’re looking at now that can be implemented on farms and ranches across the country will be focused on steps that will reduce or eliminate E. coli O157:H7 in cattle. And that will done through technologies like vaccines and feed supplements and washes.” (19 seconds)
According to Reitzel, pre-harvest research is important, but doesn’t represent the whole picture.
Reitzel 2: “First of all we need to show consumers that we’re doing all we can to make beef safe...that we take that responsibility very seriously. And that means from the cow-calf producer all the way through the different segments in our industry like our processors, the feeders and the retailers and the foodservice operators. But once it goes to consumers and they’re taking it home and preparing it in the kitchen then they have a responsibility to prepare it safely, to cook it to the temperature that it needs to be cooked at so that it will eliminate any other kinds of pathogens that could be on that product.” (38 seconds)
Information at the Summit is shared willingly and openly.
Reitzel 3: “That’s the beauty of the Beef Safety Summit. Everybody leaves their hats at home for their individual companies and entities and comes with the spirit of being able to share the information, because I think they realized a long time ago that food safety is a non-competitive issue and that all of us need to be working together to provide safe beef for consumers.” (26 seconds)
According to Reitzel, checkoff dollars used in the Summit and corresponding research are a wise investment.
Reitzel 4: “Producers need to know that without the foundation that’s beef safety research then we won’t have a market for our product. If consumers are afraid of our product because they’re afraid to eat it, because they think it’s not safe, then we’re not going to be able to sell product and we’ll no longer be able to be in business.” (21 seconds)
For more information on the industry’s beef safety efforts, visit www.MyBeefCheckoff.com, or go to the Beef Industry Food Safety Council’s Web site at www.bifsco.org.
The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.
Funded by the Beef Checkoff.
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