New outbreak highlights overuse of antibiotics and underuse of traceback and notification systems
By FOOD SAFETY ATTORNEY FRED PRITZKER
A new Salmonella outbreak was announced today: over 825,000 pounds of ground beef products processed by Fresno, CA-based Beef Packer, Inc. and distributed to retail distribution centers in Arizona, California, Colorado and Utah.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS), the “particular strain of Salmonella Newport is resistant to many commonly prescribed drugs, which can increase the risk of hospitalization or possible treatment failure in infected individuals.” In other words, this already “bad bug” is potentially much more dangerous than the “garden variety” of Salmonella (which by itself is particularly dangerous to the elderly, young children and people who are immune-compromised).
This latest Salmonella outbreak highlights a number of long-standing food safety issues.
The first is widespread and dangerous overuse of antibiotics in animal production. As many studies have shown, the prophylactic administration of massive amounts of antibiotics to livestock results in drug-resistant superbugs that are much harder to control and cause much greater harm to people sickened in foodborne illness outbreaks. I can think of no greater heartbreak than watching a loved one get progressively more ill from a foodborne illness and know that doctors are powerless to treat it.
Another issue raised by this Salmonella Newport outbreak is referenced in the following excerpt from the USDA-FSIS recall notice:
The ground beef products were produced on various dates ranging from June 5, 2009 through June 23, 2009 and bear the establishment number "EST. 31913" printed on the case code labels. The ground beef products were distributed to retail distribution centers in Arizona, California, Colorado and Utah. Because these products were repackaged into consumer-size packages and sold under different retail brand names, consumers should check with their local retailer to determine whether they may have purchased any of the products subject to recall.
In effect, our government is telling us that it’s up to individual consumers to track down whether the hamburger they consumed is laced with feces-laden poison. Could this approach be any more ass-backwards?
In an age where massive amounts of personal data is collected on consumers every time they turn on their computers, how hard is it to require producers, distributors and retailers to employ traceback systems that allow and require the wrongdoer to notify the innocent victims of adulterants in the products they purchase? Why isn’t there a rule that says no package of meat can be sold unless there is sufficient information on or in the package to allow a consumer of ordinary intelligence to know the identity of every producer, distributor and retailer responsible for it being available to the public?
This Salmonella Newport outbreak is yet another example of the broken and short-sighted system of food production and distribution that accounts for a seemingly unending series of foodborne illness outbreaks in this country. We need to make them stop.
