The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1955-09-09
BY SIDNEY MARGOLIUS
CONSUMER Expert for LABOR)

Can you be sure the drumStlck or
wing that tastes so good came from a
clean, wholesome, and disease free
bird? 1t is a fact that many poultry
diseases are "transmissible'' to human
beings, and that poultry is sometimes
a source of germs that produce other
diseases. 1t is further fact that in
xpection of poultry is, on the whole,
both inadequate and unreliable.
Union EXPOSES CONDITIONS
The Amalgamated Meat Cutters
and Butcher Workmen's union for
over a year has been trying by all
possible means to arouse the public
to the health dangers that exist in
certain areas of the poultry industry
because of inadequate inspection of
poultry by government authorities,
and the large number of plants in
which poultry is packed under un-
sanitary conditions.
The way modern poultry is sold,
already drawn and wrapped, has some
health advantages for consumers, but
it has also taken away the means by
which the oldtime housewives were
able to detect a diseased bird. When
the butcher cleaned the bird, the
housewife had a chance-if she was
fast enough--to examine the liver
to see if it was diseased or abnormal
looking. or if the spleen was enlarged
because of disease).
TAKES A SHARP EYE
Now sharp eyed housewife can
still tell if a poultry carcass is OBJ
yiously emaciated because the chicken
died from tuberculosis or other
disease, or if it is reddish looking in
dicating it died from fever. But
there is little else she can tell, and
except in some areas there are few
safeguards by federal or local au-
thoritieS.
The Amalgamated Meat Cutters
union reports that federal poultry
regulation at this time is only on Il
voluntary basis, and the program
covers less than 20 per cent of the
commercially slaughtered and pro-
cessed poultry of the nation Further,
the greatest percentage of poultry
slaughtered under this voluntary pro-
gram is neither inspected for whole
someness nor graded for quality.
In contrast to the poultry situa-
ton, most red meat is compulsorily
inspected before it comes to the
retail store.
Local boards of health have become
very concerned about the lack of |
poultry inspection and the filthy con-
ditions in some packing plants. The
New York City board of health tells
this writer it is insisting that all poui- |
try sold in New York-the largest
market in the country-must be IN
spected by some impartial agency, or
the board of health won't permit 1T to |
be sold.
In New York all poultry now must
bear either a label on the wrapper |
or giblet bag or metal clip attached
to the wing indicating that the bird
was inspected either by a federal,
state, or city inspection authority.
Chicago and few other cities nave
similar regulations.
UNION CAMPAIGN HELPS
AS result of the Amalgamated's
campaign, there have been signs lndl-
eating a stiffening of poultry lnspec-
ton by local health departments n
other sections of the country. For
example, the Amalgamated reports,
poultry that had passed inspection IN
a poultry plant approved by the U. 5.
Agriculture Department, recently was
seized and condemned by Newark,
N. J. health authorities because OF the
discovery of fecal matter and other
unwholesome substances on the birds.
Legislation providing for compul-
sorry poultry inspection by the state IS
pending in Texas. Nebraska recently
also strengthened inspection. In Oma-
ha, both representatives of the Anal
gamated and of the board of health
found poultry plants fell short OF
adequate sanitation. The Omaha
health authorities found poultry was
processed in dirty, dllapl-
dated buildings, often with poor