ND Department of Agriculture Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE OCTOBER 11, 2007

JOHNSON DEMANDS RETRACTION OF MISLEADING AD

BISMARCK – Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson says a radio advertisement attacking state meat inspection programs is “false and misleading” and should be taken off the air immediately.

“Your radio ad contains several direct and implied falsehoods regarding state meat and poultry inspection programs,” Johnson said in a letter to John Gage, president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE). “Your attempts to raise doubts about food safety are a slap in the face to state inspected meat processors and a disservice to American consumers.”

Johnson said the content of the ad resembled a print ad, sponsored by the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) appearing last week in USA Today. He said he wrote the CFA about the ad and sent a copy to Gage.

“It is my understanding that the following day the ad was pulled,” Johnson said.

Johnson reminded Gage that he had met with members of Gage’s staff in Washington last week, and that they had agreed to continue discussions on interstate meat shipment legislation.

“Consequently, I was shocked when I found out today that you recently started running a radio ad that has a similarly distorted message,” Johnson said.

Johnson, the president of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), said the ad claims that “meat and poultry interests want congress to let them avoid federal inspections” and “less rigorous inspections will let small businesses expand.”

“This is not true,” Johnson said. “State inspectors . . . are responsible for enforcing the same standards as federal inspectors. In addition, pound for pound, state products receive more ‘hands on’ inspection than federal products do.”

Johnson said the ad also claims that supporters of state meat inspection “have convinced the House of Representatives to open loopholes to keep federal inspectors out of meat plants.

“The Farm Bill legislation pending in Congress . . . simply allows state-inspected meat and poultry to be sold across state borders,” he said. “Federal meat inspection programs are not changed at all; they will continue to operate with USDA personnel carrying out their inspection responsibilities.”

Johnson offered to return to Washington to meet with Gage and other opponents of interstate shipment of state-inspected meat products.

“It should be our joint goal that meat and poultry products processed in the United States under both federal and state inspection are safe, wholesome, unadulterated and properly labeled,” he said. “In order to achieve this goal, you need to realize we are on the same side, and we all need to work together.”

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MEDIA: For more information, please call Ted Quanrud at (701) 328-2233 or tquanrud@nd.gov or Patrice Lahlum at (701) 220-4357 or plahlum@nd.gov.