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Klobuchar Urges International Community to Continue Importing U.S. Pork amidst Influenza Outbreak

Klobuchar Talks to DHS Secretary Napolitano and Experts about Outbreak

April 28, 2009

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar urged the international community to continue to import U.S. pork as the H1N1 influenza outbreak, also known as the “swine flu” continues.  Klobuchar, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, also stressed that humans cannot catch H1N1 influenza from eating pork.
                                       
Klobuchar has met with of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and CDC officials about actions taken to stem the outbreak and she has also talked with Dr. Michael Osterholm, the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy and a professor at the University of Minnesota.

“I want to stress to our trading partners and to the public that humans cannot catch H1N1 flu from eating pork,” said Klobuchar.  “Saying otherwise is not just misguided, it’s plain wrong.  This scare has created a crisis in an industry that is vital to Minnesota’s economy and I urge the world community to continue importing American pork.”

“I will continue to work with the Administration to ensure the ongoing safety of Minnesotans and the sustainability of the pork industry in our state,” Klobuchar continued. 

The price of pork has fallen dramatically in recent days and this scare has exacerbated a difficult time in the pork industry as it struggles with high input costs and low pork prices. 

Minnesota is the nation’s third largest pork producer, with 2,500 farms and more than 20,000 jobs in hog production and pork processing. 

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