WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Friday offered needy countries more than 330,000 packaged meals donated by Britain to feed Hurricane Katrina victims but rejected due to a U.S. ban on British beef.
State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said the "Meals Ready to Eat," or MREs, had been held in a warehouse in Little Rock, Arkansas, for more than a month after U.S. Agriculture Department officials said they could not be distributed in the United States because they contained British beef products.
"We are certainly, for our part, looking to dispose of these MREs that were offered in the spirit of friendship and charity. We are looking to dispose of them in the same way," Ereli told a State Department briefing.
The United States bans the import of products containing British beef because of fears of mad cow disease, a chronic, degenerative disease affecting the central nervous system of cattle.
An additional 33,000 MREs from Germany, Russia, Spain and France had also not been distributed to hurricane victims because of U.S. legal restrictions, Ereli said without elaborating.
More than 100 nations offered assistance to the United States after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and other U.S. Gulf Coast communities on August 29.
The U.S. relief effort to help victims of the hurricane was criticized as too slow and inefficient and bogged down by bureaucracy and in-fighting among government departments.
Early on, there was a need for about 500,000 readily packaged meals and the State Department asked its embassies worldwide to seek food donations. Britain was among the first countries to offer MREs.
The State Department said it did not want to appear ungrateful for the British donation and that it was working hard to pass on the meals to another country in need.
"We obviously want to find needy populations and get them these supplies as soon as possible, because if you need them, you need them now. So we're eager to resolve this soon," said Ereli, adding he did not know what the expiration dates were on the food packages.
Sorry, Ultimo! But I do think it's like saying, "This food's not good enough for us, so we'll give it to someone else." By time they actually give it away, I'd bet you that it'll be expired!
Send them on to Pakistan. I know, I know, it sounds awful... but if the meat IS contaminated, average Joe American is going to sue the pants off the US government for tainted meat... I'd rather the American starve and give it to the Pakistanians before the mountain passes close and they can't get any relief supplies.
Why not Ultimo, we want to hear what you have to say!
I voted to give them to other countries, but only because we need to feed ourselves. With local farmers needing to make $ and get rid of food, we should be looking to them! I am not against taking the meals, but think they might serve other places more. NEVER DESTROY!
I feel that any food we sent over would be 100% safe for human consumption and there fore should have been used to help save lives straight away, I understand what you mean about wanting to use local farmers produce and I totally agree with that in normal situations but this was no normal situation the food was needed straight away.
Sorry about the slap in the face our government just gave you. Not a way to treat our biggest allie.
it IS a hard issue though.
We do have the ban, and we'd look a bit questionable if we lifted it for this.
PLUS, everyone here LOVES to bash George Bush, and if we gave those meals to the "poor, black victims that George Bush hates" down in New Orleans I can guarantee you the NY Times and other liberal papers would have a field day with headlines like "FOOD NOT SAFE FOR AVERAGE AMERICANS IS THE ONLY FOOD BEING PROVIDED TO HURRICANE VICTIMS" or something stupid like that.
Letting it go to waste is not a good idea obviously, but again by giving it away we're appearing snobby and saying "this isn't good enough for us, but here, YOU EAT IT!"
I do understand the position it puts your government in, too be fair our government should have realised that sending beef was a bad idea because of the ban.
I think it is one of the most absurd and embarrassing things I have ever heard. My deepest apologies to England and please know that not all US citizens support this particular decision. They would never send tainted food to the needy. It angers me that it was rejected--just as the physicians from Cuba were rejected. I don't want to soap box--so I will stop with these comments.
OK, small soap box. The USA in the past 100 years has bailed out just about every government and taken fiscal abuse galore. I am sick of being criticized for being a US citizen, but then,abroad, my money is called for the moment anyone anywhere in the world has trouble the hand is out begging for US assistance. We as US Americans have complained back for years that World loans have gone unpaid. Assistance not appreciated etc. Then as the countries stepped forward in a genuing show of support, our homeland department refuses the helicopters of other governments becasue we don't have a plan to receive the merchandise properly. Now I hear the the Brits MRE's are not being used. I have an Uncle down in New Orleans right now. He is an insurance adjuster. He said that he is being escorted by armed guards becasue of the hungry and the bodies they continue to recover as well as wild dogs and crocs. Perhaps I am ultimately naive, but shame on my government for being too proud to accept help when it is offered.
No offense Dave, but are you sure you should be grading spelling and grammar?
I agree though, CP. I'm one of those people who thinks America isn't doing enough for America. But to throw another wrench in the works, we did refuse the medical assistance offered to us from Cuba. I do stand by the government on that one. Cuba has refused the exact same assistance from us, and I'm highly doubtful that the offer was serious.
Now see, I always thought you were in a hurry to get back to your poker.
It is odd though, when I read the forum I think I could know who's saying what without seeing any names (like you guys tried that time in the thread where you all went anonymous).
We all have little quirks in our grammer, or favorite phrases, or words we consistently mispell.
We could turn it into a game show! "Guess who's talking now!"
