美国一组织指责政府应对近期大肠杆菌疫情的行动迟缓

    食品伙伴网讯  据美国食品安全新闻网报道，针对近期加拿大爆发的大范围大肠杆菌疫情，美国食物与水观察组织表示，多款碎牛肉产品已经输入美国，然而美国农业部应对此次疫情行动缓慢，至今未发布相应的通报。
    
    部分原文报道如下：    
    The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service is taking heat for what some are calling a too slow response to a massive Canadian beef recall for E. coli O157:H7. 
    
    Washington, DC-based advocacy group Food & Water Watch sharply criticized FSIS Friday, saying it was "stunning" that the agency still hasn't issued a formal recall several days after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled a hundreds of beef products for E. coli O157:H7, including dozens of products that were shipped to processors several U.S. states.
   
    On Sept. 3, FSIS confirmed a positive test for E. coli O157:H7 from Canadian company XL Foods, Inc. After follow-up testing by federal food safety officials in both countries, CFIA announced a recall on Sept. 16. The recall has been expanded half a dozen times and now includes hundreds of products. 
   
    "After knowing for 17 days that they had a potential public health crisis on their hands, the management of USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service （FSIS） finally issued a 'Public Health Alert' at 9:00 p.m. on September 20, 2012 regarding tainted beef that had crossed the border from Canada," explained Wenonah Hauter, executive director of FWW, in a release titled: "Where's the Recall?"
   
    Meanwhile, on Sept 17, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22 CFIA expanded their recall to include more products, including American brands like Kirkland Signature （Costco） and Safeway.
   
    For their part, FSIS says that since the Canadian firm has already initiated a recall, the U.S. meat safety agency's role is limited to conducting effectiveness checks of the recall. Downstream customers in the U.S. have been notified about the potentially contaminated products, according to the agency, so federal health officials are following up to make sure the product has been removed from commerce.
    
    
    原文链接：<http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/09/usda-criticized-for-slow-response-to-canadian-e-coli-o157h7-recall/>