The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Thursday announced that it had turned up no H5N1 avian influenza virus in 30 samples of ground beef from retail stores.
BEEF IS SAFE
The “USDA is confident that the meat supply is safe. USDA has a rigorous meat inspection process, where USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) veterinarians are present at all federal livestock slaughter facilities. FSIS inspects each animal before slaughter, and all cattle carcasses must pass inspection after slaughter and be determined to be fit to enter the human food supply,” the USDA said in the announcement.
To verify the safety of the meat supply in the context of H5N1, the USDA’s FSIS, APHIS and Agricultural Research Service are working on three separate beef safety studies related to avian influenza in meat from dairy cattle, the USDA release said. These studies are taking place in the interest of scientific inquiry and reaffirm consumer confidence.
- Samples of ground beef obtained at retail in the affected States: Final results were posted on May 1. Samples were collected at retail outlets in the states in which dairy cattle herds have tested positive for H5N1 influenza virus. The samples were analyzed by APHIS using Polymerase Chain Reaction, to indicate whether any viral particles were present. No virus particles were found to be present.
- Beef muscle sampling of cull dairy cows condemned at select FSIS-inspected slaughter facilities: FSIS is still collecting muscle samples at FSIS-inspected slaughter facilities of cull dairy cattle that have been condemned for systemic pathologies. The samples will be analyzed by APHIS using PCR to determine presence of viral particles. The results are forthcoming and will be posted as soon as they become available.
- Ground beef cooking study: ARS will be conducting a beef cooking study and will be using a virus surrogate in ground beef and cooking it at different temperatures to determine log-reduction of the virus. The results will be posted as soon as they become available.
MARKET REACTION SLIGHT
Market reaction to ongoing news of sporadic infections of cattle herds with the H5N1 virus has been muted at best. Most seem to regard it as only a matt4er of interest and not a market-moving factor.
The virus does not seem to affect the dairy cows for a long period of time, and their milk when they are sick is disposed of. Plus, pasteurization will kill any escaping viruses, and the percentage of the population that drinks unpasteurized milk is very low.
Further monitoring of the situation is prudent, but for now, it seems clear that milk is safe.
CATTLE, BEEF RECAP
The USDA reported formula and contract base prices for live FOB steers and heifers this week ranged from $182.00 per cwt to $186.75, compared with last week’s range of $181.32 to $187.00 per cwt. FOB dressed steers, and heifers went for $286.41 per cwt to $290.67, compared with $285.91 to $290.32.
The USDA choice cutout Thursday was down $0.64 per cwt at $292.90 while select was off $0.09 at $287.98. The choice/select spread narrowed to $4.92 from $5.47 with 137 loads of fabricated product and 28 loads of trimmings and grinds sold into the spot market.
The weighted average USDA listed wholesale price for fresh 90% lean beef was $346.42 per cwt, and 50% beef was $81.69.
The USDA said basis bids for corn from feeders in the Southern Plains were unchanged at $1.36 to $1.44 a bushel over the May corn contract, which settled at $4.52 a bushel, up $0.08 3/4.
The CME Feeder Cattle Index for the seven days ended Wednesday was $243.37 per cwt, down $3.69. This compares with Thursday’s May contract settlement of $243.60, up $2.17.