May 23, 2002–Washington, DC–A bacteria-testing method used to ensure tainted meat is not sent to grocery stores nationwide may have failed, according to a report by the Public Citizen and the Government Accountability Project.

The group reports that Agriculture Department records show that the meat safety system is not running smoothly, according to an article by the Associated Press. "At some plants, testing stopped for months at a time before being completed. In other cases, the department waited weeks to take corrective action at plants that had clearly flunked,&#34 notes the report released by Public Citizen and the Government Accountability Project.

According to USDA guidelines, ground beef processing plants receive a failed rating if six out of 53 meat samples test positive for bacteria. However, even if the first six samples test positive for bacteria, the USDA doesn’t consider that a failure until a total of 53 samples are completed, a procedure that can take weeks or months.

"Companies were failing these tests and USDA was allowing them to continue to put out meat stamped inspected and approved for extended periods of time, and they’re still doing it," Carol Tucker Foreman told the AP. Tucker is director of the Consumer Federation of America’s Food Policy Institute.