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For Background:
To:
PRESS COVERING EXPRESSED
FOOD SAFETY CONCERNS
Subject:
TYSON FOODS QUALITY
ASSURANCE MEASURES
At Tyson Foods, we occasionally receive inquiries from the public and
members of the press regarding the precautions we take to ensure that our
poultry products are safe and wholesome.
As background, we offer the following list of Tyson procedures, many of
which are not government-mandated, but performed on a voluntary basis as
measures of quality control.
*Samples from birds, feed ingredients, finished feed, litter, and soil from
each farm are routinely tested for pesticide residue in our corporate labs,
which hold USDA accreditation in Food Chemistry and Pesticide Residue Analysis.
*Tyson chicks undergo a thorough immunization program at the hatchery to
ensure against disease at the farm. Several thousand serum tests are run
each week on samples from farms throughout the Tyson system. These tests
confirm that our chickens are adequately protected against disease by the
vaccinations they have received and aid in monitoring for possible exposure
to other disease agents.
*Tyson chickens are fed a high-quality diet that contains no chemical preservatives,
no steroids or growth hormones.
*Tyson service representatives closely monitor the use chemicals on the
farm, following strict guidelines which prevent the exposure of birds to
pesticides or other potentially harmful chemicals. The use of pesticides
in and in around occupied chicken houses and feed supplies is absolutely
prohibited.
* Residue testing to detect possible traces of pesticides or harmful chemicals
is conducted in our corporate labs on samples from every flock of birds
before the chickens are transported from the farm to the processing facility.
*In each plant where chickens are processed, depending upon the size of
the plant, 15-30 inspectors who are employees of the USDA constantly check
for potential sources of disease and contamination. In addition to the USDA
scrutiny, the product is closely monitored by Tyson's quality assurance
staff for any potential problems.
*One shift each day is devoted to sanitizing the plant. All equipment is
thoroughly cleaned with water and USDA-approved antimicrobial agents, after
which samples are taken from throughout the plant to verify sanitation in
our onsite laboratories. These laboratories are routinely monitored by the
corporate lab to verify the accuracy of results.
*All chicken is packaged and shipped according to rigid USDA guidelines.
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