Food safety group: Privatizing poultry inspections result in contaminated food
A national consumer group says reports prove that an expansion of the the USDA’s controversial pilot project for privatized inspection in poultry slaughter plants could result in defective and unsanitary poultry contaminated with feathers, bile and feces making its way to consumers.
According to the report, released by Food & Water Watch, an analysis of the USDA’s HACCP-based Inspection Models Project (HIMP) – obtained through the Freedom of Information Act -- reveals large numbers of defects are routinely being missed when inspection tasks are performed by company employees instead of USDA inspectors.