Government Info on Food Recalls, Outbreaks, and Food Safety Act News

Want to know what foods are most often recalled and which are most likely to make you sick? Curious about what progress is being made in the implementation of the new Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)?  Recent government announcements answer these questions to your satisfaction (or not).

Recalls:

Food products can be recalled for several reasons, among them contamination, the inclusion of a common allergen not listed on the label, and the discovery of a foreign body in the food.  In the third quarter of 2012, the FDA Enforcement Reports listed 414 food recalls, more than twice as many as in the 2nd quarter.  This was the highest level reported within the past 10 quarters.  According to Food Safety Tech, pathogens (such as salmonella, listeria, and E.coli) were the cause of 74%; common allergens in a product but not listed on the label accounted for 18%. 

Outbreaks:

In late January, 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released two reports on foodborne illness outbreaks.  The first--entitled Surveillance for Foodborne Disease Outbreaks revealed the following, according to an article in Food Safety Tech:

In 2009 and 2010, there were 790 laboratory-confirmed outbreaks.  The leading causes were norovirus (42%) and salmonella (30%).

Listeria caused the highest percentage of hospitalizations (82%), followed by Clostridium botulinum (67%) and paralytic shellfish poisoning (67%).

ŸFoods that were common sources of illness were eggs, fish, beef, and poultry. 

The second CDC report issued in January 2013 reviewed 11 years of foodborne illness data.   It revealed that, from 1998 to 2008, leafy green vegetables were the greatest causes of foodborne illness outbreaks at 22%; followed by dairy products, which caused 11% of outbreaks. Total number of outbreaks reported: 4,589; total number of illnesses: 120,321.

All this doesn't seem to leave us much safe food to eat, does it?  Our suggestion:  Just keep cooking and eating, but educate yourself about the proper ways to clean, store, and cook food.  Shelf Life Advice contains all the info you need to run a safe kitchen.  Check out these articles:

"Thermometers: Two Types Every Kitchen Should Have"

"FAQs on Raw Fruits and Veggies--the Answers Can Protect Your Wallet and Your Health"

"Why You Need A Safe Cooking Temperature Chart and How to Get One Right Now"

Shelf Life Advice also posted an article about this year's norovirus outbreak. 

FDA Actions Regarding the FSMA:

The FDA has issued a final regulation adopting an interim rule on detention of human and animal food.  This rule gives the FDA authority to detain food and feed products if it has "reason to believe" that the food is misbranded or adulterated.  Previously, the FDA had authority to detain an edible product only when it had "credible evidence" that the item could seriously injure the health of a person or animal.

Two scheduled public meetings to discuss proposed rules for implementing specific sections of the FSMA were also announced on January 30.  These will be held on February 28 and March 1 at the Department of Agriculture building in Washington, D.C.  The meetings are designed to discuss the two prospective rules before they become final, to solicit comments from "stakeholders on proposed rules," and to inform the public about the rulemaking process and how comments about the rules can be submitted.  Shelf Life Advice posted the following article about these proposed rules: "FSMA Announcements: GE Salmon and New FSMA Rules" and the following piece about the law in general:  "Is the Food Safety Modernization Act Making Our Food Supply Safer?"

Source(s):

foodsafetytech.com  "Rapid Food Safety Diagnostics Resource Center"

http://www.foodsafetytech.com/FoodSafetyTech/FSTResourceCenterRapidSafetyDiagnostics.aspx

foodsafetytech.com "CDC Reports 299 Outbreaks During 2009-10"

http://www.foodsafetytech.com/FoodSafetyTech/News/CDC-Reports-299-Outbreaks-During-200910--1152.aspx

foodsafetytech.com Food Court: "Final Administration Detention Rules Under FSMA Published"

http://www.foodsafetytech.com/FoodSafetyTech/FSTBlogs2/Food-Court-Final-Administrative-Detention-Rule-Und-409.aspx 

fda.gov  "FDA to Hold a Public Meeting on Two Major FSMA Proposed Rules in Washington D.C. on February 28 - March 1, 2013"

http://www.fda.gov/Food/NewsEvents/ConstituentUpdates/ucm336333.htm