The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) yesterday issued a scathing response to a “study” of raw pork chops published by the advocacy group Consumers Union in Consumer Reports that found 69% of the samples were contaminated by a little-known foodborne pathogen. The Council says the report was “designed to scare consumers into purchasing only organic pork by using junk science against pork from conventionally raised hogs.” The NPPC and scientists, including Dr. Scott Hurder, former USDA deputy undersecretary for food safety, criticized Consumers Union for trying to link antibiotic use in food animals with antibiotic resistance in humans and “for ignoring more than 15 years of data from federal public health agencies showing significant reductions in bacteria on meat.
Click here for the press release and specific criticism.
