May 4/Arlington, Va./Occupational Health & Safety -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture on May 2 announced new steps to prevent foodborne illnesses from meat and poultry products, saying the measures will significantly improve the ability of plants and USDA to trace contaminated food materials in the supply chain, to act against contaminated products sooner, and to establish the effectiveness of food safety systems.
"The additional safeguards we are announcing today will improve our ability to prevent foodborne illness by strengthening our food safety infrastructure," said USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Elisabeth Hagen. "Together, these measures will provide us with more tools to protect our food supply, resulting in stronger public health protections for consumers."