Federal Panel Told New Meat Rules Still Need Work

WASHINGTON — A federal health inspection official said Wednesday that new federal rules sought by lawmakers after a 2011 salmonella outbreak in Maine are still probably months away from completion.

It's been more than a year since the outbreak — linked to meat sold at Hannaford supermarkets — helped expose problems in the way stores handle and keep track of the various sources of meat used in ground beef or other ground products.

The incident, which sickened about 20 people in Maine and six other states, added urgency to a U.S. Department of Agriculture rule already in the works that would require stores to record the source of all the meat they grind to help investigators identify the supplier of any tainted meat. USDA officials had said they hoped to complete their work on the proposed rule by the end of 2012.

The USDA has known for 15 years that better record-keeping is needed, to help food-safety investigators trace the source of contaminated meat and prevent more illnesses.

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