USMEF Outreach Efforts on Flu Virus
USMEF Outreach Efforts on Flu Virus
Misinformation regarding the outbreak of North American influenza (also referred to as swine flu and, now, as the H1N1 virus) continues to spread, but USMEF is continuing to collect information regarding the situation and forwarding the most current facts to our members.
USMEF has provided our international offices supporting information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to utilize in their markets.
USMEF’s international team is engaged with government officials, importers, retailers, the food service industry and the media in their markets to ensure that they have the most current scientific data to help them make appropriate decisions regarding access for U.S. pork products. There is no scientific justification for restricting U.S. pork or pork products.
USMEF’s core message mirrors that of the leading world health organizations and the U.S. pork industry:
- Pork is safe. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), it is safe to eat pork products. There is no evidence showing that the flu virus is transmissible through eating pork.
- The flu virus is NOT present in U.S. pigs. The CDC reports that this strain of flu virus (swine influenza virus subtype H1N1) is very different from that found in pigs, and has not been found in pigs in the United States.
USMEF also has provided our international team with a number of documents that support the safety of U.S. pork:
- World Health Organization FAQ document regarding this flu virus
- Link to OIE statement regarding North American influenza: http://www.oie.int/eng/press/en_090427.htm
- CDC factsheet on the flu virus: http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/swineflu_you.htm
- Statement by USDA Sec. Vilsack: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=2009/04/0132.xml
- USDA Q&A document: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?contentidonly=true&contentid=2009/04/0131.xml
- USMEF factsheet and talking points
USMEF will continue to keep you informed of changes in the global pork marketplace and our efforts to restore full access for U.S. pork.
# # #
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (www.USMEF.org) is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry and is funded by USDA, exporting companies, and the beef, pork, corn and soybean checkoff programs.
USMEF Outreach Efforts on Flu Virus
Misinformation regarding the outbreak of North American influenza (also referred to as swine flu and, now, as the H1N1 virus) continues to spread, but USMEF is continuing to collect information regarding the situation and forwarding the most current facts to our members.
USMEF has provided our international offices supporting information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to utilize in their markets.
USMEF’s international team is engaged with government officials, importers, retailers, the food service industry and the media in their markets to ensure that they have the most current scientific data to help them make appropriate decisions regarding access for U.S. pork products. There is no scientific justification for restricting U.S. pork or pork products.
USMEF’s core message mirrors that of the leading world health organizations and the U.S. pork industry:
- Pork is safe. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), it is safe to eat pork products. There is no evidence showing that the flu virus is transmissible through eating pork.
- The flu virus is NOT present in U.S. pigs. The CDC reports that this strain of flu virus (swine influenza virus subtype H1N1) is very different from that found in pigs, and has not been found in pigs in the United States.
USMEF also has provided our international team with a number of documents that support the safety of U.S. pork:
- World Health Organization FAQ document regarding this flu virus
- Link to OIE statement regarding North American influenza: http://www.oie.int/eng/press/en_090427.htm
- CDC factsheet on the flu virus: http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/swineflu_you.htm
- Statement by USDA Sec. Vilsack: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=2009/04/0132.xml
- USDA Q&A document: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?contentidonly=true&contentid=2009/04/0131.xml
- USMEF factsheet and talking points
USMEF will continue to keep you informed of changes in the global pork marketplace and our efforts to restore full access for U.S. pork.
# # #
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (www.USMEF.org) is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry and is funded by USDA, exporting companies, and the beef, pork, corn and soybean checkoff programs.