Food is getting safer, baby step by baby step

Source http://www.foodpolitics.com/2016/09/food-is-getting-safer-baby-step-by-baby-step/

Chase Purdy writing in Quartz says “The system for catching dangerous pathogens in America’s food supply is finally working.”

Here’s the best evidence: the remarkable decline in cases of STEC (Shigella Toxin E. Coli).

Quartz quotes food safety lawyer Bill Marler: “You look back over time and, from 1993-2003, about 90% of my firm’s revenue was from E. coli cases connected to hamburger.”

What changed?  Regulation.

The USDA now considers STEC to be an adulterant and does not permit meat and poultry contaminated with it to be sold.

But then there’s Salmonella.  It is not considered an adulterant.  Why not?  Because it occurs so frequently that USDA considers it normal.  Cases of Salmonella have not declined as much as they should.

In the meantime, the FDA is diligently following through on its food safety rulemaking.  On August 24, it opened three more sets of draft guidance documents for public comment.

  • <a href="http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTYwODI0LjYyOTIwMTIxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE2MDgyNC42MjkyMDEyMSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzM5MTgwJmVtYWlsaWQ9bWFyaW9uLm5lc3RsZUBueXUuZWR1JnVzZXJpZD1tYXJpb24ubmVzdGxlQG…

Source http://www.foodpolitics.com/2016/09/food-is-getting-safer-baby-step-by-baby-step/

Chase Purdy writing in Quartz says “The system for catching dangerous pathogens in America’s food supply is finally working.”

Here’s the best evidence: the remarkable decline in cases of STEC (Shigella Toxin E. Coli).

Quartz quotes food safety lawyer Bill Marler: “You look back over time and, from 1993-2003, about 90% of my firm’s revenue was from E. coli cases connected to hamburger.”

What changed?  Regulation.

The USDA now considers STEC to be an adulterant and does not permit meat and poultry contaminated with it to be sold.

But then there’s Salmonella.  It is not considered an adulterant.  Why not?  Because it occurs so frequently that USDA considers it normal.  Cases of Salmonella have not declined as much as they should.

In the meantime, the FDA is diligently following through on its food safety rulemaking.  On August 24, it opened three more sets of draft guidance documents for public comment.

  • <a href="http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTYwODI0LjYyOTIwMTIxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE2MDgyNC42MjkyMDEyMSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzM5MTgwJmVtYWlsaWQ9bWFyaW9uLm5lc3RsZUBueXUuZWR1JnVzZXJpZD1tYXJpb24ubmVzdGxlQG…

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