New York Times reporter Michael Moss used the plight of Stephanie Smith of Cold Spring, Minn., to probe the meat industry's continued reluctance to test for dangerous e.coli bacteria in ground beef, and the government's willingness to go along with it. A single hamburger patty had ingredients from Nebraska, Texas, South Dakota and Uruguay. It's a reminder of our continuing faith in the safety of what ends up on our plates, even though in most cases we have no idea where it came from. According to the Times, here was Wayzata-based Cargill's response:
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, however, felt compelled to respond this week:
More specifically:
Now if that beef patty in the meat section has three states and a South American country listed as its origin, would you buy it?
