Consumers warned not to buy meat without a stamp

| 16/12/2009

(CNS): To protect the meat-eating public from possible food poisoning, the Department of Agriculture (DoA) and the Department of Environmental Health (DEH)  will be conducting inspections of local slaughter houses, livestock and butchers to maintain food safety standards. Before any animals are slaughtered livestock must be inspected by DoA staff to ensure they are healthy and DEH officials must inspect carcasses to determine whether they are safe for human consumption. “The public is reminded that local meat is only deemed fit when carcasses bear the ’DEH inspected andpassed’ stamp," the DEH said.  

Traditional Christmas dishes often include fresh local meat and to satisfy the seasonal demand, butchers are already slaughtering more livestock, the two departments said on Wednesday.

Selling carcasses, whether whole or in part, that have not been DEH inspected and approved is against the Public Health Law (2002 Revision). DEH officials said consumers should be vigilant. “For your own safety and for the health of those who may consume your meals, do not purchase any locally-slaughtered meat that lacks the DEH stamp," said Senior Food Safety Officer Gideon Simms.  “If at any time you observe anyone selling locally slaughtered meat without the stamp, immediately report the matter to the DEH.”

DOA staff can be contacted on 947-3090 to make arrangements for ante-mortem inspections and butchers should call the DEH on 949-6696 at least 48 hours ahead of the proposed slaughter time to arrange post-mortem meat inspections. People can call either number for more information.

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  1. Anonymous says:

    To all you meat eaters, have the nerve to go out to the slaughter house and watch it happen as a live performance, regardless of what’s on the "menu".

    I’ll bet a lot of you will never eat meat again!

    Problem solved!

    • Carnivore says:

      I bet you I would, preferably wrapped in bacon. I could eat me a big piece of cow right now.

      • Violent Carnivore says:

        If they let me do the killin’ before the grillin’ I would.

        I’m off to boil me some lobsters.

    • Anonymous says:

       Been there.  Done that.  Still love my steak!

  2. Anonymous says:

    Just another way to spend MONEY the Government dosen’t have!! I dont know of one single case of food posoining from local beef! EVER! not on this little Island. That is comming from someone who has to justify the job they have, where they sit in an office chair all day with nothing to do! I for one am going to get my local beef… It is a Cayman tradition. On second tought maybe it’s just another way to take away a Cayman tradition! Eat your local beef in peace! Merry Christmas.

  3. No stamp no eat says:

    No stamp, don’t buy – simple.  Otherwise you will be helping someone break the law and committing a crime.

  4. ... says:

    Well said!! I grew up in Cayman, I’m now in my 40’s, and fresh Christmas local beef was a tradition every year.  In fact, it used to be an occassion for family and friends to get together.  The cow would be slaughtered, butchered and sold right in the yard.  I remember everyone staying up late and people coming to get their Christmas beef and everyone hanging out and chatting.  I’ve never known or heard of anyone ever getting sick from eating local beef slaughtered and sold that way in Cayman.

    We’ve lost enough of our heritage, our we going to lose this also?

  5. Anonymous says:

    That cow in the picture looks like he has mad cow! LOL

  6. Anonymous says:

    I whole heartedly agree with the post at 18:25. There has never been a case of "food poisoning by local farmers beef" from any slaughter house in the Cayman Islands for the last umpting years, if ever.

    Cayman does not have foot-mouth disease, mad-cow disease or some of the other agricultural diseases and food poisoning viruses/bacteria in their beef, that we hear about in other countries.

    Interestingly, these type of diseases are often heard of in the United States, Canada, UK and other parts of Europe and Asia.

    It’s some of these same countries above, (probably not Asia) that we import beef from without any strict guidelines to protect our local consumers. You are 100 times more likely to get ill from beef imported from these countries than from your local farmers beef.

    Additionally, you locallyproduced beef does not have all the hormones and other addatives that will cause you health problems to include obesity.Ever wonder why young girls/boys (9-11 yrs) develop so quiclkly in physical maturity ??? It’s the fast food hamburgers, chicken nuggets etc etc that is loaded with hormones coming from these countries and sold in our local restaurants and supermarkets.

    Support your local farmers this Christmas Season and always in the future. Not only is their product better tasting but you will live longer…… healthwise from it as well.

     

     

    • Umpting Dumpting says:

      There are umpting bizarre statements in this post, I just wouldn’t not know where to start.

  7. Anonymous says:

    You know in all of my 50 plus years of being on this island I have never heard of any Christmas Beef hurting anyone. Now all of a sudden it is not good if it does not have a bureaucratic stamp on it ( I am sure there must be a FEE for the stamp as well).

    While I appreciate the general common sense that inspected beef is a good thing I find it hard to swallow (no pun intended) this DOA press release which seems a bit sensational.

    I would like to know what the statistics are for rejected beef since this programme was initiated and the cost to Government including the “Senior Food Safety Officer’s” salary.

    Anyway Caymanians and all others, enjoy the beef and have a safe and happy Christmas!!!