Safety challenges facing meat industry give food for thought
THERE has been a high-profile discussion raging in the US about the place of the meat-processing industry during coronavirus. Several factories have been hit by Covid-19 outbreaks — more than 20 have closed. Last week the chairman of one of the biggest players in the meat business there took out full-page ads in The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (the company is headquartered in Arkansas) to flag his claim that the ‘food chain is breaking’.
John Tyson, of Tyson Foods, said that the group, which employs 100,000 people, has been forced to close plants, risking supply shortages. Outbreaks of coronavirus at plants have been followed by local authorities insisting on their closure.
“This means one thing — the food supply chain is vulnerable,” wrote Tyson. “As pork, beef and chicken plants are being forced to close, even for short periods of time, millions of pounds of meat will disappear from the supply chain. We have a responsibility to feed our country. It is as essential as healthcare,” he argued in his letter-style advertisement.
According to reports from the US, shoppers are already seeing gaps in the supermarket meat aisles.
Following Tyson’s plea, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order requiring slaughterhouses to stay open, despite the concerns of unions over staff safety.
Commentators have pointed out the US meat supply chain is far more consolidated than Europe’s and this has amplified the problem of coronavirus outbreaks in the food chain. Yet some of the concerns being thrashed out in the US for several weeks are now just starting to rear their heads in Ireland. Late last week news broke that Dawn Meats group had to close its boning hall in Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath, due to four confirmed cases of the virus.
And then Rosderra Irish Meats, a processor in Co Tipperary, also said it had experienced outbreaks. More are likely to follow.
The meat industry has been one of the most proactive business areas when it comes to the coronavirus, bringing in safety measures at an early stage, something that Siptu has acknowledged. But it remains a high-risk area of the food chain. Unlike other parts of the food industry which are highly automated, the meat industry is labour intensive and depends on people working shoulder to shoulder.
In Ireland, meat processing is already considered an essential service by Government in order to provide continuity of food supply in the domestic, European and international supply chains. In the US, some have characterised the decision of Trump to compel meat factories to stay open as allowing food giants to make money while workers suffer.
However, the situation is more complex than that and may force us to ask some hard questions about the food supply chain.
Modern meat processing has allowed ordinary people have access to a plentiful supply of cheap meat. A small but growing number of consumers have questioned the way in which animals are treated and meat processed and have moved towards plant-based diets or small meat producers. In general, western society is trending towards less meat in their diet but vegetarians still account for a small part of the overall population.
However, for many consumers, affordable meat and a decent diet depends heavily on meat processing, with its tight margins and razor-sharp efficiencies.
While worker safety is absolutely essential, this important fact will have to be borne in mind as the debate about keeping factories open heats up in Ireland. Tech firms need to step up
A REPORT from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) last week was a reminder of the significant challenges in monitoring the activities of tech giants. Since 2018, Facebook, Google, Twitter and Microsoft are signed up to a code of practice on disinformation. It is a voluntary European self-regulatory code drafted by the signatories to tackle fake news.
A review carried out by the Institute for Future Media and Journalism (FuJo) at DCU found progress had been made but highlighted several shortcomings among the tech firms. “Our researchers could not identify any news item across any platform that had been labelled as fact-checked with the corresponding verdict on its authenticity,” said FuJo’s Jane Suiter. “This represents a substantial obstacle in assisting Irish consumers to make informed decisions when they encounter news online.”
The BAI, which is on course to become the enlarged Media Commission, is playing a key role in Europe in the development of new rules, such as the Audio Visual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) which will regulate all video content on social media across the EU.
“This is a fast-moving agenda where Ireland is an important player, especially as many of the key platforms are established here,” the BAI said in last week’s report.
The big difference between the disinformation code of practice and any codes that will be implemented under the AVMSD is that the directive will be statutory.
However, it will place a lot of responsibility on the tech companies to comply with the code, which will be monitored by independent observers as well as the media commission. There will be potential for punishment also. But it will be very difficult to get all of these companies in line, as we have been reminded by the shortcomings identified in last week’s report.