Tougher meat inspection urged by federal agency

Surprise visits to meat and poultry slaughter plants that found one-fourth of them in violation of federal standards have led the General Accounting Office to recommend tougher federal inspections of plants. The GAO found flaking paint and rust above carcasses, meat dragging through dirty drip pans, and inadequately sanitized equipment.

The GAO recommended that the laws force plants to maintain better sanitation on their own initiative.