Food Safety In the United States: Shared responsibility Inadequate results

Food Safety In the United States:Shared responsibility Inadequate results David Scoville 11/13/07 ENVR 230

Regulatory Agencies • U.S. Food and Drug Administration • Department of Agriculture • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

USDA • Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) • Food Safety Information Center (NAL) FDA • Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition

CDC • Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases – Food Safety Office EPA • Office of Pesticide Programs

“TheBad Bug Book“ 1 • PATHOGENIC BACTERIA • Salmonella, Staphylococcus, Shigella • (EEC Group) • 4 different classes : ETEC, EPEC, EHEC, EIEC • PARASITIC PROTOZOA and WORMS • Giardia • VIRUSES • hepatitis A and E • NATURAL TOXINS

OUTBREAKS

OUTBREAKS * Data from CDC Food Safety Office, chart created by David Scoville

Reporting Outbreaks • Contact county or local health department • Enough complaints can lead to investigatory study from CDC or other government agency. • Study results can lead to recalls.

Recalls • Recalls ordered by the FDA only when food production companies refuse to remove products on their own. • Three classes of recalls: I : dangerous or defective products,serious health problems or death II: temporary health problem, slight threat of a serious nature III - violate FDA labeling or manufacturing regulations, but are unlikely to cause any adverse health reaction.

Recalls • Castleberry’s Food Company – 7/21/07 • Multilple brands, mainly processed meat products • Natural Balance is a brand of dog food that is recalled by same company

Recalls • February 14, 2007 – PeterPan and Great Value Peanut butter – Salmonella Product codes beginning with 2111-

Inadequacies • In March 2007 alone, 850 shipments of grains, fish, vegetables, nuts, spice, oils detained were detained by FDA. • Only 1.3% of food imports are inspected by FDA. • Means that upwards of 65000 shipments of imported food are contaminated but not caught by the FDA.

Reasons… • USDA given most of $1.7 billion federal budget for food safety, but only responsible for 20% of imported food. • USDA requires foreign inspection certificates, and are able to inspect everything being imported. • FDA gets ~24% of budget, and around 80% of responsibility for imported food.

Reasons • FDA and USDA methods of regulation enforcement: • Return imported contaminated food to source • Destroy imported contaminated food • Issue recall after problem has broken out

References • U.S. food imports rarely inspected • http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18132087/ • http://www.foodsafety.gov • http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/list.html • http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/ • http://www.fsis.usda.gov/ • http://riley.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=16&tax_level=1/ • http://www.castleberrys.com/news_productrecall.asp • http://www.personalinjurylawyeramerica.com/peanut-butter-salmonella.htm?gclid=CNeDxaSi1Y8CFQGzGgodpFlr-g

Food Safety In the United States: Shared responsibility Inadequate results