USDA gives green light to poultry industry

WASHINGTON, May 18 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture ordered nearly 80,000 birds ready for processing after recent tests showed they were unharmed by tainted pet food.

While the animals had been held on Indiana farms after ingesting pet food containing compounds such as melamine, testing showed the birds were safe for human consumption, an Agriculture Department news release said Friday.

The tests concluded the potentially dangerous chemicals in the chickens' feed do not accumulate in the animals' bodies. The birds' bodies actually dispose of the compounds quickly, minimizing the risk to humans, the department said.

The Department of Agriculture found that for a 132-pound person to be significantly affected by the compounds, they would have to eat more than 800 pounds of meat from the tainted chickens daily.

While the nearly 80,000 birds appear to be in good health, the animals will undergo more intensive testing by the agency's Food Safety Inspection Service as they are processed.