Despite The Continuing Spread Of Swine Flu, Pork Products Remain Safe
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As of this morning, the CDC has confirmed a total of 40 swine flu cases in the United States (increased from 20 over the weekend). As noted in our previous post, the current strain is a mutated variant of swine flu which can be transmitted directly from person-to-person. For this and other reasons, the current illnesses are not believed to be related in any way to exposure to pigs or pork products. Click on the following link to visit the CDC Swine Flu Website.
Indeed, according to scientists at the USDA and the CDC, “swine flu viruses are not transmitted by food, so you cannot get swine flu from eating pork or pork products." Moreover, the virus (like other pathogens), even if present (through cross contamination or other means), is easily killed if heated to 160 degrees. In turn, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack confirmed further that "[t]here has been no evidence,” in any event, “that [any] swine have been infected with this virus."
Echoing Vilsack’s comments, the National Pork Producers Council (“NPPC”) likewise confirmed that "pork is safe to eat, and direct contact with swine is not the source of, and U.S. pigs have not been infected with, the hybrid influenza.” According to NPPC, the CDC and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security:
- People cannot get the hybrid influenza from eating pork or pork products. Most influenza viruses, including the swine flu virus, are not spread by food. Eating properly handled and cooked pork products is safe.
- There are no food safety issues related to the hybrid flu that have been identified, according to DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano.
- Preliminary investigations have determined that none of the people infected with the hybrid flu had contact with hogs.
- This virus is very different from that found in pigs.
- The hybrid virus never has been identified in hogs in the United States or anywhere in the world.
- The hybrid virus is contagious and is spreading by human-to-human transmission.
Despite such assurances, however, Russia nevertheless suspended imports of all port products from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas (Russia has also suspended imports of all meat products from California, Kansas and Texas). Russia also suspended shipments from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Nicaragua, Panama and El Salvador.
According to the CDC, swine flu is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza among pigs. Although the disease normally does not infect humans, human infections have been known to occur in rare instances among people who are exposed to pigs. Until now, however, cases of human-to-human spread of swine flu viruses have been extremely rare. Symptoms resemble those of regular flu but, as demonstrated in the most recent mutation, the virus also has the potential to be fatal.
