In what the US Department of Agriculture sees as a sign that its protocols are working, bird flu has been found in beef tissue for the first time at a federally inspected meat processing plant. The virus was found in tissue from a dairy cow that had been sent to slaughter, Quartz reports. The USDA said it was one of 96 cows diverted from the meat supply because inspectors noticed signs of illness during routine inspections, reports CBS News. The virus wasn't found in the other cows.
- The agency "is confident that the meat supply is safe," the USDA said in a report released Friday. "USDA has a rigorous meat inspection process, which includes Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) veterinarians who are present at all federal livestock slaughter facilities. FSIS personnel inspect each animal before slaughter, and all cattle carcasses must pass a second inspection after slaughter and be determined to be fit to enter the human food supply."