Food Poisoning Law Blog

The FDA may be seeing the wisdom in getting serious about food safety. The FDA has created the position of Assistant Commissioner for Food Protection to address substantive food safety and food defense matters. This comes after a rash of outbreaks and recalls:

1. Recent nation-wide E. coli outbreaks (spinach, Taco Bell, and Taco John’s)
2. A Salmonella outbreak linked to Peter Pan peanut butter and Great Value peanut butter
3. A massive recall of pet food linked to contaminated wheat gluten from China—now known to have also entered the human food chain because some pigs and chickens were fed a byproduct of the recalled pet food
4. Two recent E. coli recalls affecting thousands of pounds of beef, primarily ground beef

The Commissioner of Food and Drugs, Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach, stated in his announcement of the new position of Assistant Commissioner for Food Protection:

The protection of America's food supply and therefore the safety of Americans eating food of domestic or international origin is of utmost importance to me as a physician, and to the mission of this agency. . . We've seen a rapid transformation of the food safety system due to advances in production technology, rapid methods of distribution, and the globalization of food sources. Dr. Acheson's [Dr Acheson will fill the new position] wealth of experience, and knowledge of the science behind food protection, will help the agency keep pace with this transformation in order to ensure that the safety and nutritional value of our food supply is second to none.

According to an FDA news release, one of Dr. Acheson's first projects will be the development of an agency-wide, visionary strategy for food safety and defense. The strategy will identify and characterize changes in the global food safety and defense system, and identify current and future challenges and opportunities. It will also name potential barriers, gaps, and most critical needs in a food safety and defense system. The strategy will serve as the framework in helping the agency prioritize and address food safety and defense challenges.

Fred Pritzker is a nationally-recognized food poisoning lawyer.  He was recently lead counsel in a Listeria food poisoning case that involved ready-to-eat-turkey.  His leadership resulted in significant settlements for the families involved.

For more information about Pritzker | Ruohonen, please see our website, www.pritzkerlaw.com.  To contact Pritzker | Ruohonen, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or e-mail Fred Pritzker.