@Risk

Last Thursday, Jodi Nudelman, Regional Inspector General for Evaluations and Inspections from the Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, testified before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce about the safety of the nation’s food supply.

Her remarks were reminiscent of an earlier speech by Dr. Margaret Hamburg, Commissioner of Food and Drugs, and served to underscore the current vulnerabilities of our food supply chain.

Here are a few of the startling specifics: (more…)

Most foodborne illness outbreaks are from non-produce food items, according to a new report from the Alliance for Food and Farming. The report, which analyzes Centers for Disease Control data associated with foodborne illness outbreaks, found that from 1990 to 2007:

• 88 percent of foodborne illness outbreaks were from non-produce food items. (See examples here and here.)

• 12 percent of all foodborne illness outbreaks were associated with produce.

• Of this 12 percent, more than 10 percent  were associated with improper handling of produce after leaving the farm. For instance, 65 percent of outbreaks traced back to a produce item can be attributed to improper handling in a restaurant, most likely the result of cross contamination or improper employee hygiene.  Mishandling at community events caused 14 percent of the produce-related outbreaks, followed by mishandling in the home –which represents 13 percent of outbreaks associated with produce.

• 2 percent of produce-related outbreaks were associated with the growing, packing, shipping or processing of produce.

This is the second time the Alliance for Food and Farming has conducted a review of the CDC databases. The first review, based on data from 1990 through 2004, resulted in similar findings, indicating that illnesses associated with produce are still low despite some recent outbreaks. (more…)

A new study by a former U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) economist estimates that the total annual health-related costs of foodborne illness across the nation is $152 billion annually – four times that of earlier estimates calculated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

This total is based on an FDA cost-estimate approach: health-related costs are the sum of medical costs (physician services, pharmaceuticals, and hospital costs) and losses to quality of life (lost life expectancy, pain and suffering, and functional disability). It includes the costs of medical bills, lost wages and lost productivity. (Note: These are health-related costs only. An aggregate economic impact total that included losses to food manufacturers and distributors involved in recalls would be significantly higher.)
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The food industry is contending with yet another recall of contaminated food.

This time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is collaborating with public health officials in many states, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the State of Rhode Island to investigate a multistate outbreak of a particular strain of Salmonella.

Since July 1, 2009, 207 individuals from 42 states and District of Columbia have been sickened with this Salmonella strain, and preliminary analysis of this study has suggested salami as a possible source of illness. As a result, Daniele International Inc., an establishment with operations in Pascoag and Mapleville, R.I., recalled approximately 1,240,000 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) varieties of Italian sausage products. Specifically, the FDA is actively investigating the supply chain of the black pepper used in the manufacturing of the recalled meat products.

The CDC has identified three interesting and unique features of this outbreak: (more…)

On Wednesday, a Senate committee unanimously approved a sweeping overhaul of the Food and Drug Administration’s food safety system.

The proposed legislation is similar to the measure passed by the House this summer, as it significantly increases the FDA’s regulatory powers and allows the agency to directly order a food recall, rather than merely requesting that a food manufacturer institute one. In addition, the Senate version of the bill includes whistle-blower protections, unspecified grants to states to improve food safety programs, and requirements for organic agricultural standards and other factors to be included in government food safety rules.

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