FIGHT BACK! BY DAVID HOROWITZ

New Rule For Chilly Chicken

Look through the poultry case in your local supermarket and you'll find
whole and cut- up chicken or turkey labeled "fresh," even if the bird is
frozen solid. That's perfectly  legal under current federal rules, which
allow poultry to be labeled "fresh" even if it's  frozen to zero degrees
Fahrenheit. Consumer groups have long argued that labeling frozen
poultry "fresh" is misleading and that shoppers have a right to know
when chicken has been frozen on the way to  market and then allowed to
thaw for sale. So now, the U.S. Department of Agriculture  is proposing
a new rule that all poultry must be labeled "previously frozen" if it is
shipped or stored at 26 degrees or lower (the temperature at which
chicken and turkey  actually begin to freeze). You might not think such
a rule would cause much controversy. But in fact, the 26- degree rule
has been the focus of a huge legal and public-relations battle over the
past several years. On one side are the major poultry producers in the
Southeast,  which ship chicken and turkey all over the country. They're
concerned that labeling  their products "previously frozen" might put
them at a competitive disadvantage when  compared with locally grown
poultry that is shipped chilled but not frozen. On the other side,
naturally, are those local producers who often get premium prices for
fresh, unfrozen birds. These producers, mostly in California, have
pushed hard for  the 26-degree rule. They are joined by consumer groups
lobbying for truth in labeling  and members of California's powerful
congressional delegation anxious to protect  their home state's poultry
industry. The public and industry groups have until mid-March to comment
on the issue before the USDA drafts a final rule, which would take
effect some time next year. The National  Broiler Council and the
Arkansas Poultry Federation, which represent major producers  in the
Southeast, have not commented directly on the USDA's proposal. But most
industry experts expect them to come out strongly against it. It was
their opposition that  killed a similar rule in 1988. However, a
spokesman for Tyson Foods, the country's  largest chicken processor,
said his company could live with the 26-degree rule if it is  enacted.
This isn't a question of food safety. Poultry is generally safe from
bacterial  contamination as long as it's kept below 40 degrees and sold
within two weeks of  slaughter. The reason interstate shippers freeze
poultry is because it gives them an  extra margin of safety in transit
and because freezing prevents natural juices from  draining out of the
birds into the packaging, which many shoppers find objectionable. All
this may seem like a lot of fuss to make over a nickel and dime issue.
According to  the USDA, the 26-degree rule would affect only 1.4 billion
of the 18 billion pounds of  chicken Americans eat every year. But, when
you're talking about billions, those  nickels and dimes add up to big
bucks for the poultry industry. And let's not lose sight of the truth in
labeling issue. I don't mind buying a frozen  chicken or turkey,
especially if I plan to put it in my freezer at home. But I think I have
a  right to know if that "fresh" bird I'm buying has already been frozen
on the way to  market.

COPYRIGHT 1995 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.