Amerikai Magyar Szó, 1988. július-december (42. évfolyam, 27-48. szám)
1988-10-27 / 40. szám
Thursday, Oct. 27. 1988. AMERIKAI MAGYAR SZÓ 11. U.S. Would Ease Bone Labeling Rule for Meat WASHINGTON, Sept. 12 (AP) - The Agriculture Department today proposed allowing hot-dogs, bologna and other prepared meats to contain as much as 10 percent ground bone and other meat remnants from a mechanical process without identifying the ingredients in product . labels. Use of the mechanically separated meat has been debated between industry and consumer advocates for more than a decade and has included court challenges and repeated attempts to change the Federal rules. Under the process the bones and attached meat remnants of a slaughtered animal are put through a grinder and the mixture is forced through sieves. Although most of the bone is strained out, some particles, about the size of black-pepper flakes, wind up in the final mixture. SAUSAGE AND SCRAPPLE Current regulations allow the mixture to make up as much as 20 percent of the meat portion of products like hot dogs, luncheon meats, sausage, scrapple and canned spaghetti with meat sauce. But labels must state the presence of the processed mixture. The department said that if the proposal is adopted, mechanically separated meat would not have to be listed in ingredients statements as long as it did not exceed 10 percent of the meat and poultry portion of the product. The salvaged remnants of the slaughtered animals have been approved for use in certain foods since 1978. However, the industry complained that the stricter initial regulations called too much attention to the finely ground bone and that the product failed to gain widespraid use. Rodney E. Leonard, executive director of Community Nutrition Institute, a nonprofit consumer group, said of the latest proposal: "They couldn't sell it with labeling, so they're going to try without labeling." He said in the telephone interview that he felt the proposal was "politically motivated" by the outgoing Reagan Administration, which he said could have proposed the rule change long ago. ’CRUD AND SLEAZE’ "They want to get all of the junk and crud and sleaze done before they leave (office)," Mr. Leonard said. He said his organization would challenge the proposal during the department's hearing process. Department officials said the proposal "reflects a petition submitted to U.S.D.A." by four processor: Bob Evans Farms Inc. of Columbus, Ohio; the Odom Sausage Company of Madison, Tenn.; the Sara Lee Corporation of Memphis; and Owen Country Sausage Inc., Richardson, Tex. The proposal will be open for public comment until Nov. 8. Comments can be sent to: Policy Office, Linda Carey, Hearing Clerk, Food Safety and Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Room 3171-S, Washington, D.C. 20250. Budapest’s Basilica According to a sociological survey, some 60 percent of Hungary's population are Roman Catholic, 20 percent Calvinist, 10 percent Lutheran, and another 10 percent belong to smaller Churches and denominations. These data roughly correspond to those of the 1947 census, although it is a well-known fact that over the past 40 years people's interest in religion as well as in the various Churches and denominations has considerably decreased. ANDREW MÉSZÁROS Our good friend. Andrew Mészáros passed away September 24, 1988. at the age of 89 following a stroke and a short hospital stay. He lived in Mt. Kisco, N.Y. with his family and read our newspaper almost to the end of his long life. He enjoyed meeting with his friends at our dinners, bazaars. We'll miss him and keep his memory forever. Our symphaty goes out to his daughter, Anna Miklós and her family. Those who wish may call the department at(202)447-6042. Dear Reader: We reprint this article as a public service. It points up the utter disregard of the Republican Administration for the welfare of the people of this country. Jack Bobrow former U.S.D.A. inspector I Dukakis on Social Security and Health Care "I support the Social Security system, including fuH benefits and fuU cost-of-living increases. The Social Security system is in good shape and should be for the next half century. "As President, I will work to ensure its continued solvency and integrity."- Michael Dukakis Just a few months before Bush cast his COLA-cutting vote in the Senate, Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis signed an important new law to protect the state's Medicare beneficiaries from unfair physician overcharges. As a result, Massachusetts doctors are now required to accept the "reasonable" rates that Medicare "assign" as payment in full for their services. Massachusetts was the first state to pass a mandatory assignment law, and though a few others have since followed suit, the Massachusetts law remains the strongest in the nation. Much of the credit must go to Dukakis, whose early support and commitment helped ensure the law's passage. More recently Dukakis championed state legislation for universal access to health care. He signed the bill into law this year; soon everyone in Massachusetts will be assured basic health insurance. And Dukakis says he would like to see the same type of law enacted by the U.S. Congress. Another program that Dukakis wants to see enacted is Rep. Claude Pepper's bill covering long-term care at home. This bill would expand Social Security and Medicare to pay for these often-devastating costs and would cover not only the elderly, but Americans of all ages. Reform Effort In Hungary BUDAPEST, Oct 6. - Hungary's lawmakers resumed debate today on tax laws that are among reforms intended to move the country toward a market oriented economy. On Wednesday, members of Parliament unanimously adopted a law designed to increase the flow of foreign capital into Hungary and give incentives to entrepreneurs to start businesses. In a newspaper interview in Budapest, President Bruno F. Straub indicated that the new laws were only the beginning, saying: "Some very important decisions on the economy are still ahead of us." The new laws are part of an economic reform program, including strict austerity measures, begun by Prime Minister Karoly Grosz last year. The reforms are intended to help the country repay $18 billion in debt and stimulate its stagnating economy by reducing subsidies and subjecting enterprises to market-style competition. PLEASE PASS THIS PAGE TO A FRIEND
