4/27/2009
3:23:00 PM NPPC: Pork Safe To Eat, Says USDA, CDC Source of
Article: http://www.cattlenetwork.com/Content.asp?ContentID=310079 WASHINGTON, D.C., April 27, 2009 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue to reiterate to a public
concerned about a hybrid influenza outbreak that pork is safe to eat. “Eating properly handled and cooked pork or pork
products is safe,” said USDA Sec. Tom Vilsack in a statement issued this
morning. “I [want] to reassure the public that there is no evidence at this
time showing that swine have been infected with this virus. “According to scientists at USDA and the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, swine flu viruses are not transmitted by
food, so you cannot get swine flu from eating pork or pork products.” On Thursday, the CDC said humans cannot contract from
eating pork the hybrid influenza that has infected more than 20 people in the
United States, more than 1,300 in Mexico and a number of people in several
other countries. At a Sunday White House briefing, U.S. Department of
Homeland Security Sec. Janet Napolitano said there are no food safety issues
related to the current flu virus. The National Pork Producers Council and the National
Pork Board also are assuring domestic and global consumers about the safety
of pork and are urging pork producers to tighten their existing biosecurity
protocols to protect their pigs from the virus, including restricting public
access to barns. In a related matter, the World Organization for Animal
Health (OIE) today named the virus that has been identified in those infected
the “North American” flu. According to a Reuters story, the OIE said the flu
virus spreading around the world should not be called “swine flu” because it
also contains avian and human components |
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