Pigs May Have Screened Positive for H1N1 – Pork Is Still Safe to Eat

Notice there are no pictures of pigs or hogs here, but on with the purpose here, pork is ok to eat as the H1N1 is airborne when spread. Now the folks working around the potentially infected pigs might be having to wear masks I would guess and gives a whole new meaning to hog’s breath that we don’t want to become familiar with. Ok little humor here as last time the pork folks were worried about lost sales with a pig or hog reference.

If you think you may have swine or H1N1 flu, you can use the Microsoft online tool to assess, a link on the right hand side of this blog is permanently here for reference. Homeland Security has a very good video on the H1N1 virus and it takes a few minutes to load. Use the link below to view, it is about 30 minutes. I originally embedded it in a prior post but now it states it can’t bee viewed so maybe I took up too much bandwidth on Homeland’s website? BD

http://www.hstvchannel.com/Specials/Pandemic_Preparedness/H1N1_Pandemic_Preparedness.html

Information on Pork below:

For Immediate Release

Contact: Janet Riley, 703-801-2238 or jriley@meatami.com

Possible Novel H1N1 Cases In Pigs Not Unexpected; Experts Say U.S. Pork Is Safe To Eat

Attribute to J. Patrick Boyle, President and CEO, American Meat Institute

“USDA has confirmed that hogs at the Minnesota State Fair may have screened positive for the novel H1N1 virus. USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratories expects to have confirmatory results within the next few days. This event is not unexpected given that much like humans, hogs can contract influenza viruses.

Experts have said unequivocally that U.S. pork is safe to eat and that people can not contract the flu from eating pork or pork products. USDA scientists have underscored that novel H1N1 flu is not a foodborne disease; it is a respiratory infection that does not impact pork safety.

The U.S. government has in place strict safeguards to protect the safety of our food supply. All pork sold in the U.S. is inspected by USDA and must meet strict safety standards. Every hog that is processed is inspected by a federal veterinarian to ensure only healthy hogs enter our food supply. The “Passed and Inspected by USDA” seal ensures that pork is wholesome and free from disease.

Consumers can continue to enjoy pork as part of a healthy, balanced diet. It is important that consumers take care of their health. An essential part of staying healthy is eating a balanced diet that includes vitamin and mineral-rich foods like pork.”

For more information, visit www.meatsafety.org.