Please share. ChickenJustice.org
August is Clean & Safe Chicken Month. Ok, we made that up but we can win a small but meaningful victory. Clean and Safe Chicken is achievable – this month, before the USDA implements a terrible new rule. Please help.
The USDA plans to “modernize” chicken production by:
1. eliminating 75% of USDA inspectors and permitting corporations to police themselves, using untrained employees;
2. speeding up production lines so it’s not possible to inspect and remove chickens contaminated with poop, pus, scabs, and rotten flesh;
3. assuming contamination, so all birds will be washed with chlorine.
Spend a couple of minutes to support workers, protect our food supply, and take a stand against de-regulation. That, and more information are below the orange drawing of salmonella bacteria.
You can stop the rule before the USDA tries to implement it in the fall:
*Call the White House Comment Line (M-F 9-5 EST) 202-456-1111
or send a comment to the White House (check box to get a response)
*Post on your social media accounts and email friends.
*Tweet Michelle Obama @FLOTUS – she cares about safe, healthy food and we need her help!
*Sign up to support the campaign.
You won’t be surprised that food safety scientists, industrial hygienists on worker safety, government accountability experts, animal rights activists, and USDA inspectors -- everybody not connected with the industry -- has spoken against the proposed rule. For more information and the comments by every major food safety, worker safety, government accountability, and animal rights group opposing this rule :
www.ChickenJustice.org
FOOD SAFETY
The USDA says it is replacing visual inspection with testing for dangerous microbes, yet factories which piloted the new rules had just as high (and higher) levels of salmonella. There are concerns that the chlorine wash will mask, but not eliminate, the salmonella -- making it difficult to test for but still dangerous to eat. Consumers will eat food with chlorine residue. Under the pilot program, USDA inspector/whistleblowers reported chickens remain on the production line with feces, pus, bile, and fetid flesh remain .
GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY
The USDA has driven the implementation of this rule, ignoring the normal procedures for creating new rules, soliciting input, and its focus on food safety. The USDA has repeatedly explained this rule is important because it will save the highly profitable meat industry $260 million dollars annually. The rule gives inspection responsibility to untrained company employees, despite every evidence that “self-regulation” is a dangerous weakening of government regulation. Food safety is too important to leave in the hands of an industry which has repeatedly demonstrated willingness to cut corners in the pursuit of higher profits.
WORKER SAFETY
Injury rates at poultry processing plants are astronomical. Faster line speeds will mean more injuries and ever-higher rates of repetitive motion disabilities. The USDA states that increased production rates will not affect worker safety, but there’s no actual evidence and OSHA is planning a 3-year study – starting next year.
MORE ANIMAL SUFFERING
Increased production speeds will result in more chickens and turkeys suffering, since there will be more errors in the slaughtering process.
So, what is the “modernization” that the new rules create? Food that is no more safe. Food contaminated with more poop, pus, scabs, rotten flesh, and chlorine. More injured workers. Animals that suffer more during the production process. More profits for corporations -- if that's what makes it more modern, join us in rejecting it. We can stop it right now. Please tell the administration this isn't what modern means to you and share it with friends and allies. Thank you!