USDA will identify retailers involved in meat recalls

... and Elanor at the Ethicurean explains the information economics.

Score one for access to information.

The USDA announced today that starting next month, it will publicize the names of retail stores that have received shipments of recalled meat and poultry. Up until now, recalls were issued for slaughtering or processing companies; consumers were informed that meat processed at Hallmark-Westland packing plants might have some downer properties, or that Topps ground beef could give you an extra bacterial bang for your buck. If you were actually interested in information that could help you avoid these supplies, though, you’d be out of luck. As Marc reported in a February post, Topps meat was packaged and sold nationally under no fewer than eleven different brand names. And the USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service wasn’t going to tell you where the contaminated meat might have been purchased....

The information is particularly important in light of the fact that the USDA can’t actually require companies to recall contaminated meat; they can only ask nicely and issue public warnings. (See Marc’s post for detailed info.) At least they’re giving consumers a shot at self-advocacy.

Thanks for pointing this out, Ashley.