When the agency first introduced RBI, one of the aspects of establishing risk was based on a plant's volume of production. The initial proposal was to place a value of two (2) on large plants, one and one-half (1 1/2) on small plants, and one (1) on very small plants. Now cogitate on that for a minute! USDA thereby suggests that the risk to the public for large plants' contaminated meat is only twice that of contaminated meat from very small plants. There is no very small plant which markets into 22 states, and in most cases, even to 22 counties within one state. This glaring and intentional agency insulation of the biggest meat plants continues to reveal the agency's bias in protecting the largest entities, and to place an inordinate scrutiny on the extremely small plants which have miniscule production figures, and which lack political clout and finances required to challenge unethical agency enforcement actions.

Following public criticism of the agency's 2:1 ratio, FSIS responded by changing the ratio to an altruistic 5:1 figure. Although this constitutes an improvement, the 5:1 ratio remains at least one galaxy away from reflecting a true & accurate comparison of production volumes of the largest plants vis-a-vis the smallest plants. I bring this up to bring to everyone's attention the agency's intentional bias, if RBI ever hits the front burner again. While RBI may indeed have some plausible motives, the agency's ultimate objective will be (AGAIN) to further deregulate the largest packers, and to hyper-regulate the smallest plants out of business. Watch and see!

And while USDA allows dozens of countries (arguably with meat inspection oversight inferior to ours) to ship their meat across America (with virtually no re-inspection at our borders), the agency still does not allow state-inspected meat plants to ship across state borders. Folks, we are witnessing an unrestricted global Free Trade fiasco which allows Melamine et al into our country, while denying state plants to ship across state borders. If Americans endorse such idiocy, we deserve whatever sicknesses we inherit.

Just as Senator Bayh is fed up with partisan gridlock in DC, all consumers should be outraged with USDA's blithe nonchalance in deregulating the biggest packers and opening America to a flood of inferior food, while discouraging the development of domestic food manufacturers.

John Munsell