Economic Assessment of Food Safety Regulations: The New Approach to Meat andPoultry Inspection

摘要

An economic analysis of new meat and poultry inspection rules evaluates thebenefits and costs of reducing microbial pathogens and preventing foodborne illness. The new rules require processors and slaughterhouses to adopt Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) systems to identify potential sources of pathogen contamination and establish procedures to prevent contamination. The benefits of reducing pathogens, which include lower medical costs of illness, lower productivity losses, and fewer premature deaths, range from $1.9 billion to $171.8 billion over 20 years, depending upon the level of pathogen control. These benefits will likely exceed the costs of HACCP, which are estimated at between $1.1 and $1.3 billion over 20 years. Small meat and poultry processing firms may bear higher costs under the new regulations than do large firms.