Safe food: All--consuming issue Charles W. Schmidt Abstract
Episodes of food poisoning and diseases such as salmonellosis are becoming increasingly common in the United States. One estimate suggests that as many as 33 million illnesses and 9,000 deaths annually are caused by foodborne hazards. Most of these cases can be traced to microbial contamination, although potential health effects from chronic pesticide exposures in the diet, particularly among children, are also causing increasing concern. Critics feel the current food safety system has become outdated as social, economic, and demographic shifts have changed both the way people are getting their food as well as the foods themselves. Meanwhile, several new and emerging pathogens, including some new strains that have resulted from changes in the mass production of food, are turning up in the food supply. Although safeguards implemented by the increasingly consolidated food industry have done much to reduce contamination levels, the trend toward national and global distribution of foods is leaving many more people at risk if something does go wrong. Many consumers are also concerned about technologies being applied to the food supply, such as irradiation, the use of hormones in milk production, and genetic engineering, even though these technologies have been approved by the government as safe. These consumers may seek out organically grown foods, for which they are willing to pay a premium. But whether or not organic foods are actually healthier is not entirely certain. In May 1997, the leaders of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the EPA were charged with devising a plan for improving the nation's food supply. Their report, Food Safety, from Farm to Table: A National Food Safety Initiative, outlines an initiative for a revamped food safety system that emphasizes improved outbreak response, education, and increased use of science.
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