Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to tighten oversight of imported meat after nearly 30,000 pounds of raw beef from Argentina was recalled for entering U.S. commerce without the required federal import reinspection, according to an Aug. 12 news release from the Texas Department of Agriculture.
The recall touches a persistent concern for Texas cattle producers, who compete against imported beef while meeting rigorous domestic standards. In the release, Miller stressed the importance of maintaining strong inspection standards for imported meat so American consumers can have confidence in the safety and integrity of the nation’s beef supply.
“Nearly 30,000 pounds of Argentine beef made it into American commerce without receiving the required federal import reinspection. That is unacceptable,” Miller said in the release.
Miller credited the USDA and its Food Safety and Inspection Service for catching the failure but said American consumers “should never have to wonder whether foreign meat slipped through the cracks.” Texas cattle producers, he said, “meet rigorous standards and produce the best beef on God’s green earth, but compete against foreign imports that too often enter our market without giving consumers the full story. That’s not a level playing field.”
The commissioner urged the federal agency to determine how the beef bypassed required inspection and to ensure the lapse is not repeated, saying the USDA needs to take a hard look at its import reinspection process. His message to Texans, according to the release, was simple: “Buy American. Buy Texas. Know where your beef comes from.”
The response adds to a series of statements Miller has issued this year on the integrity of the American beef market, and it signals that the Texas Department of Agriculture intends to keep pressure on federal regulators as questions about the recall are sorted out.