United States to allow processed poultry from China, despite bird flu fear

WASHINGTON (AP) - Poultry processed in China will be allowed to enter the United States, despite outbreaks of deadly bird flu in China, the U.S. administration said Thursday. Critics said the imported poultry will put public health at risk. The U.S. Agriculture Department said the meat would be fully cooked and perfectly safe. "It will have been processed," said Richard Raymond, the department's undersecretary for food safety.

"Cooking will kill the virus, if there is any virus, in poultry meat."

The United States does not accept live poultry from countries where the virulent flu strain is present. That policy has not changed.

The poultry would be raised and slaughtered in the United States or other countries from which the United States accepts poultry. It would be fully cooked and packaged or canned in China. Imports will be allowed beginning May 24.

Critics said the United States cannot guarantee Chinese processing facilities will keep Chinese poultry from mixing with U.S. poultry.

"It's not clear to me the two will be effectively kept separate," said Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, the top Democrat on the Senate agriculture committee.

U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro, a Connecticut Democrat, said the imports are dangerous.

"It is an outrage that the U.S. is going to open our borders to imports of poultry from China - a country that lacks the fundamental safety functions in its processing plants, has questionable export practices and a country where a deadly animal disease and possible pandemic is running rampant," said DeLauro, top Democrat on the House of Representatives appropriations committee's agriculture subcommittee.

The department acted on a request from China but Raymond said he does not expect very much of the product to be shipped to the United States. He noted chicken prices have been low.

"With the price of chicken, I don't know how you could send it across the ocean twice and make money," Raymond said.

He added poultry is safe, as long as it is properly cooked and basic rules for kitchen safety are followed. The department said cooking poultry to 74 degrees C will kill viruses or bacteria.

Chinese President Hu Jintao visited President George W. Bush on Thursday at the White House. In advance of his visit, China made several commitments, including an agreement to drop a mad cow disease-related ban on imports of U.S. beef. Raymond said the deal is unrelated to poultry imports and has been in the works since 2004.

© The Canadian Press, 2006