Server: Microsoft-IIS/3.0 Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 06:14:40 GMT Content-Type: text/html Accept-Ranges: bytes Last-Modified: Fri, 25 Jul 1997 21:15:19 GMT Content-Length: 4733 Food Safety Background Information (4/1/96)

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For Background:

To:
PRESS COVERING EXPRESSED
FOOD SAFETY CONCERNS
Subject:
TYSON FOODS QUALITY
ASSURANCE MEASURES

At Tyson Foods, we occasionally receive inquiries from the public and members of the press regarding the precautions we take to ensure that our poultry products are safe and wholesome.

As background, we offer the following list of Tyson procedures, many of which are not government-mandated, but performed on a voluntary basis as measures of quality control.

*Samples from birds, feed ingredients, finished feed, litter, and soil from each farm are routinely tested for pesticide residue in our corporate labs, which hold USDA accreditation in Food Chemistry and Pesticide Residue Analysis.

*Tyson chicks undergo a thorough immunization program at the hatchery to ensure against disease at the farm. Several thousand serum tests are run each week on samples from farms throughout the Tyson system. These tests confirm that our chickens are adequately protected against disease by the vaccinations they have received and aid in monitoring for possible exposure to other disease agents.

*Tyson chickens are fed a high-quality diet that contains no chemical preservatives, no steroids or growth hormones.

*Tyson service representatives closely monitor the use chemicals on the farm, following strict guidelines which prevent the exposure of birds to pesticides or other potentially harmful chemicals. The use of pesticides in and in around occupied chicken houses and feed supplies is absolutely prohibited.

* Residue testing to detect possible traces of pesticides or harmful chemicals is conducted in our corporate labs on samples from every flock of birds before the chickens are transported from the farm to the processing facility.

*In each plant where chickens are processed, depending upon the size of the plant, 15-30 inspectors who are employees of the USDA constantly check for potential sources of disease and contamination. In addition to the USDA scrutiny, the product is closely monitored by Tyson's quality assurance staff for any potential problems.

*One shift each day is devoted to sanitizing the plant. All equipment is thoroughly cleaned with water and USDA-approved antimicrobial agents, after which samples are taken from throughout the plant to verify sanitation in our onsite laboratories. These laboratories are routinely monitored by the corporate lab to verify the accuracy of results.

*All chicken is packaged and shipped according to rigid USDA guidelines.

    Contact:
    Ed Nicholson (501) 290-4591
    Corporate Public Relations Manager
    email: nicholsone@tyson.com