Solutions for a Safer Food Supply

Food is mandatory for life, so it is extremely important that our food supply is safe.  But what if contaminated food could cause as many as 76 million Americans to get sick every year?  Unfortunately, this statistic is true.  With products getting recalled and outbreaks of illness frequently seen in the news, much of America has lost confidence in the safety of our food supply.

So what can be done to improve the safety of America’s food?  One answer to this question is preventing outbreaks from occurring.  There are various programs used by companies to assure safety and quality of their products, including Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP).  HACCP programs identify points in production where significant threats to food safety or quality could occur.  Limits are established on these control points and procedures are put in place to document when the limits are met.  Corrective actions are created in case a deviation from the limit occurs, and records are kept up to date on production.  These records can then be inspected by USDA or FDA officials.

Food processing facilities can also be inspected by the USDA and FDA.  Currently, the USDA is required to inspect meat and poultry facilities more often than the FDA is required to inspect other plants.  Additionally, the FDA does not inspect the majority of imported food – in fact, less than 1% of imported food is inspected!  With these suppliers creating their own laws for quality and safety, the United States should be more critical of imported foods.  The Center for Science in the Public Interest suggests that the FDA should create a system to certify the safety of imported food.  If this certification was seen on food packaging, consumers could also feel more at ease purchasing foreign products.

In recent years, new legislation has been signed into law to improve food safety.  The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) enhanced FDA requirements in outbreak prevention, facility inspection and compliance, food imports, and other areas.  Food facilities are now required to create preventative control plans like HACCP.  The FDA also had to establish production standards for food production.  There were multiple changes to import regulations.  The FDA now has more authority in food imports, including the ability to require further certification of products and deny imports.

While a consumer like yourself may not be able to create food safety laws, there are many actions you can take against foodborne illness!  One action that may seem obvious is washing your hands when preparing food, and this is especially important when handling meat.  Also, separate cutting boards should be used for meat and ready to eat foods to prevent the spread of bacteria.

Cooking and storing food at the proper temperature is extremely important!  Bacteria that cause foodborne illness thrive in the temperature range between 40°-140°F.  To prevent illness, refrigerators should be kept a few degrees below 40°F.  Food thermometers should be used to monitor the temperature of meat and poultry while cooking as well.

Foodborne illness will always remain a concern to our country.  However, new legislation has been able to improve the FDA’s authority in inspecting domestic and international foods.  Requirements for food production facilities have also been improved to ensure a safer food supply.  The FDA and USDA are not the only ones who can take action against foodborne illness.  If consumers follow some easy tips, they too can prevent foodborne illness.