By Douglas Holtz-Eakin
The young drop coverage to avoid higher premiums
The White House warned Friday that spending cuts set to take effect in March may result in furloughing every U.S. meat and poultry inspector for two weeks, causing the meat industry to shut down, Reuters reports.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has hailed its new automated inspection system as a "data-driven" approach to protecting the nation's food supply, but inspectors say systematic failures keep them stuck in front of office computers while potential public health hazards go unchecked.
Beef Products Inc. sued ABC News, Inc. for defamation Thursday over its coverage of a meat product that critics dub "pink slime," claiming the network damaged the company by misleading consumers into believing it is unhealthy and unsafe.
Beef Products Inc. sued ABC News, Inc. for defamation Thursday over its coverage of a meat product that critics dub "pink slime," claiming the network damaged the company by misleading consumers into believing it is unhealthy and unsafe.
The first sickness was in March and the first signs of a salmonella outbreak appeared in May. Two months later, investigators linked the outbreak to ground turkey and a Cargill meat processing plant in Arkansas.
