U.S. Meat Exports Under Scrutiny

Some veterinarians in charge of federal meat inspections say the Department of Agriculture has pressured them to certify products that don’t meet export requirements, the Des Moines Register reported. In two letters sent to Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman by the National Assn. of Federal Veterinarians, the group said a veterinarian “was disciplined and forced to retire” for refusing to certify cattle as being from disease-free areas, the Iowa newspaper said. Other veterinarians risk discipline for refusing to sign “even the most outrageous and obvious false statements,” said William Hughes, a lawyer for the group. Glickman’s spokesman could not be reached for comment. But Linda Swacina of the department’s inspection service said it is developing a reply to the association and is reviewing its “whole expert certification policy.”