"Almost 400 Americans have recently fallen ill as part of an ongoing national outbreak due to Salmonella-contaminated tuna.
For me, news like this hits very close to home. About six years ago my mother-in-law and I were both sickened by E. coli in bagged spinach we had in our home. I survived a painful illness, but my mother-in-law perished eight days after eating the tainted food.
Sadly, my family’s experience is not unique. Foodborne diseases claim the lives of approximately 3,000 Americans each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Those who die are among the annual estimate of 48 million people in the United States who get sick as a result of contaminated food.
To help minimize this public health problem, in early 2011, President Barack Obama enacted the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, which is the first major update to the nation’s food safety law in more than 70 years. The legislation carries with it a number of provisions that will improve the safety of produce and imports, as well as processed foods.
But despite broad, bipartisan support for the FDA food safety law, as well the backing of consumer groups and industry, the White House has needlessly delayed important regulations to implement the primary sections of the law. Until these measures are put in place, food companies will be left without direction on how to improve the safety of their products, and people will continue to be put needlessly at risk.
However, the rules are not the only roadblock to making food safety a reality. It is also still unclear whether sufficient funding will be available for the FDA to do its job and implement these rules once they are finalized. Congress is currently considering appropriations bills that will fund FDA’s new food safety responsibilities.
As we enter the summer months -- the peak time for foodborne illness outbreaks -- all of our families could be in danger unless the White House and Congress act. Hopefully, with the right safeguards in place, you and your loved ones will never have to experience the devastating consequences of foodborne illness, as my family did."
In January 2011, President Barack Obama signed the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) into law, signaling the first major update to our nation’s food safety oversight framework since the Great Depression. Despite widespread support for the legislation and its implementation, the Obama administration still has not issued all of the proposed rules under FSMA.
More info"The Food and Drug Administration will not reduce food inspections because of budget cuts, despite warning earlier that it could be forced to eliminate thousands of inspections by Sept. 30."
More info"Twenty-two weeks. That’s how long it took federal health officials to determine the contaminated food source after the first person was infected in a 2011 outbreak of salmonella that swept across 34 states, sickened 136 people and led to one of the largest national recalls of ground turkey."
More infoA multistate outbreak of Salmonella Heidelberg infections linked to ground turkey in 2011 sickened 136 people, causing 37 hospitalizations and one death. The Pew Charitable Trusts' analysis of the outbreak found numerous inadequacies in the foodborne illness surveillance system that, if addressed, could help to prevent illnesses and, in some cases, deaths.
More infoAn examination of a Salmonella Heidelberg outbreak linked to ground turkey illustrates that health authorities must be more aggressive in their efforts to detect and respond to foodborne illnesses, according to a new report by The Pew Charitable Trusts, titled “Too Slow: An Analysis of the 2011 Salmonella Ground Turkey Outbreak and Recommendations for Improving Detection and Response.” In all, the contaminated food sickened a reported 136 people in the United States, hospitalized 37 and killed one, according to government data.
More info"Six years ago, Bend resident Chrissy Christoferson's ten-month-old son suffered a ten-day struggle with what first appeared to be a touch of the flu."
More info"Portlander Joe Day tearfully recalled the year his family spent Thanksgiving in a hospital cafeteria, as his sister, suffering from e coli, fought for her life several floors above."
More infoMy name is Jennifer Exley, and I reside in Centennial, Colorado. I am the daughter of Herbert Stevens, who was deeply impacted by listeria-contaminated cantaloupe in August 2011. As you well know, 147 people were sickened and 33 people died in that outbreak — the deadliest in 25 years. My father was one of the so-called lucky survivors. His health and quality of life was, and remains, seriously affected because of something he ate.
More info''Several hundred farmers, regulators and consumers from Alaska to North Dakota to California gathered in Portland on Wednesday to listen to federal plans to overhaul the food safety system."
More infoThe Obama administration has taken an important step by releasing the draft rules central to implementing the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), but it must do more. Important draft regulations focused on the safety of imported foods are still awaiting release. These rules are especially important since about two-thirds of fruits and vegetables and 80 percent of seafood consumed in the United States come from abroad.
More infoOn Thursday, February 28 and Friday, March 1, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will hold public hearings in Washington, D.C., on FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) draft rules released earlier this year. The public will also have the opportunity to testify at agency meetings in Chicago and Portland on March 11-12 and March 27-28, respectively.
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