A new food safety precaution will go into effect next month. According to a USDA news release, USDA will begin listing those retail stores that have received meat products that have been listed as Class I recalls.

Class I recalls are those recalls that pose the most serious threat to public health. In Class I recalls, the recall “is one that involves a reasonable probability of serious health consequences or death for those with weakened immune systems,” according to the USDA.

According to the USDA press release, "The identity of retail stores with recalled meat and poultry from their suppliers has always been a missing piece of information for the public during a recall," said Schafer. "People want to know if they need to be on the lookout for recalled meat and poultry from their local store and by providing lists of retail outlets during recalls, USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service will improve public health protection by better informing consumers."

In the future, after a Class I recall is issued, “USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) will post on its Web site a list of retail stores that receive products subject to Class I recalls, the highest risk category, generally within three to ten business days of issuing the recall release.”

Once this information is made available, the USDA hopes that consumers will use the information from this list and discard any products in their possession that may be contaminated.

While the USDA will be posting recalls for retail centers which includes businesses such as supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores and meat markets, this list will not include restaurants or other institutions where food is prepared for direct consumption.

We have been calling on the USDA to take this action and welcome the additional information provided for consumers. However, we regret that restaurants and other institutions will not be listed. We feel that consumers need to know if they have been exposed to potentially-contaminated food.

Labels: food processing regulation, food safety consumer confidence, FSIS