Food Safety System Needs Improvement
by Fred Pritzker
The CDC recently issued its report entitled “Preliminary FoodNet Data on the Incidence of Infection with Pathogens Transmitted Commonly Through Food --- 10 States, 2008.” (MMWR April 10, 2009 / 58(13);333-337)
This innocuous sounding document is statistical confirmation of what food safety lawyers already know: our food safety system needs improvement. As the report’s editorial note states:
Despite numerous activities aimed at preventing foodborne human infections, including the initiation of new control measures after the identification of new vehicles of transmission (e.g., peanut butter--containing products), progress toward the national health objectives has plateaued, suggesting that fundamental problems with bacterial and parasitic contamination are not being resolved. Although significant declines in the incidence of certain pathogens have occurred since establishment of FoodNet, these all occurred before 2004.
Of the four pathogens with current Healthy People 2010 targets, Salmonella, with an incidence rate of 16.2 cases per 100,000 in 2008, is farthest from its target for 2010 (6.8). The lack of recent progress toward the national health objective targets and the occurrence of large multistate outbreaks point to gaps in the current food safety system and the need to continue to develop and evaluate food safety practices as food moves from the farm to the table.
I represent the families of three of the nine fatalities associated with the most recent national Salmonella outbreak involving Peanut Corporation of America. The loss of these three senior citizens (together with the other six deaths and thousands of injured people) is a national tragedy. Sadly, it is but one of many outbreak before and since (following the peanut recall, there have been other national Salmonella outbreaks including sprouts, pistachio nuts and spices).
What’s truly scary about this merry-go-round of death and illness is the fact of its inadvertence. No one intended to adulterate and sell Salmonella-laden food. If we cannot prevent and easily detect negligent outbreaks, how in the world are we going to reduce the risk of weaponized foodborne illness?
There are huge gaps in our current food safety system. Like anything else, you get what you pay for. If you want safer food, you have to develop a science-based system and then support it with enough money and manpower to make it work.
Fred Pritzker is founder and president of national food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen. He currently is representing victims of the nationwide peanut butter Salmonella outbreak, including the families of three women who died with Salmonella infections. With 30 years of experience and a national reputation for excellence, Mr. Pritzker has been quoted by CNN, The Associated Press, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CBS News and Fox News. To contact the firm, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit our free case consultation form.
