"Big Beef" Article Highlights Food Safety, Misses Work Safety Question

A major investigative series on the largest beef producers appeared over three days this week in the Kansas City Star. Star reporters should be congratulated on the amazing, in-depth work to present reports that clearly were not welcomed by the beef producers and supporters.  One co-worker who works on hunger relief said she had not seen the article yet because she does not subscribe to the paper. For anyone involved in the local farm/food movement, food safety, hunger relief, and nutrition, this article series is a MUST READ.


While the articles pulled no punches on a range of topics, including the impact of the health of consumers and the impact on the environment with the mountains of cattle waste at feedlots, the series only focused a cursory glance at worker safety.

The opening article in the series appearing in the Sunday, December 9, 2012 edition of the Star documented the large number of people getting sick from food. Specifically, the report mentions that "a recent lawsuit against National Steak and JBS noted that there are an estimated 73,480 illnesses linked to E. coli O157:H7 infections from all food sources each year in the United States, leading to 2,168 hospitalizations and 61 deaths."

The Star series shares how "Meat plant employees have died from falling into grinders and augers; asphyxiation; electrocution; and being kicked by semiconscious cows." However, the articles lack any detailed analysis or story-telling on worker injuries and safety.

Meatpacking work is the lowest paying job among the 20 most dangerous jobs in 2010 in the U.S. One 2008 study found 33% of workers -- 1655 workers -- at a single hog processing plant experienced traumatic injuries on the job during a three-year period. An MSNBC news report documented the the number of injuries each year: "Nationwide, about 47,500 workers in the animal slaughter and processing industry were hurt in 2005 while on the job, a rate of 9.1 injuries per 100 workers, Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows. That same year, 13 workers were killed."

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