NY Times: USDA suffering from shortage of meat inspectors
A top official at a union for federal meat inspectors has said that the USDA is hurting from a lack of inspectors, which raises the possibility of contaminated products reaching consumers, reports the New York Times. Stan Painter, who is the president of the National Joint Council of Food Inspection Locals and a meat inspector in Crossville, Ala., said the lack of inspectors most likely played a role in the recent Rancho Feeding Corp. recall of more than 7.8 million pounds of meat, because workers were stretched thin and did not have the time to properly examine meat.
“In many places, managers and veterinarians are being asked to help with inspections,” Painter said.