Food Safety In the Food Safety In the United States:United States:

Shared responsibility Shared responsibility Inadequate resultsInadequate results

David David ScovilleScoville

11/13/0711/13/07ENVR 230ENVR 230

Regulatory AgenciesRegulatory Agencies

• U.S. Food and Drug Administration U.S. Food and Drug Administration

• Department of Agriculture Department of Agriculture

• U.S. Environmental Protection U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAgency

• Centers for Disease Control and Centers for Disease Control and PreventionPrevention

USDAUSDA• Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)

• Food Safety Information Center (NAL)Food Safety Information Center (NAL)

FDAFDA• Center for Food Safety and Applied Center for Food Safety and Applied

NutritionNutrition

CDCCDC

• Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases – Food Safety OfficeDiseases – Food Safety Office

EPAEPA• Office of Pesticide ProgramsOffice of Pesticide Programs

““TheThe Bad Bug Book“ Bad Bug Book“ 11

• PATHOGENIC BACTERIAPATHOGENIC BACTERIA– Salmonella, Staphylococcus, ShigellaSalmonella, Staphylococcus, Shigella

• (EEC Group)(EEC Group)– 4 different classes : ETEC, EPEC, EHEC, EIEC4 different classes : ETEC, EPEC, EHEC, EIEC

• PARASITIC PROTOZOA and WORMSPARASITIC PROTOZOA and WORMS– GiardiaGiardia

• VIRUSESVIRUSES– hepatitis A and Ehepatitis A and E

• NATURAL TOXINSNATURAL TOXINS

OUTBREAKSOUTBREAKS

OUTBREAKSOUTBREAKS

* Data from CDC Food Safety Office, chart created by David Scoville

# of Food Borne Illness Outbreaks per year from 2000-2005 and the corresponding number of cases

1417

1238

1332

1072

1319

982

26,04325,035 24,971

22,791

28,239

20,179

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# of Outbreaks

# of ppl affected

Reporting OutbreaksReporting Outbreaks

• Contact county or local health Contact county or local health departmentdepartment

• Enough complaints can lead to Enough complaints can lead to investigatory study from CDC or investigatory study from CDC or other government agency.other government agency.

• Study results can lead to recalls.Study results can lead to recalls.

RecallsRecalls

• Recalls ordered by the FDA only when food Recalls ordered by the FDA only when food production companies refuse to remove production companies refuse to remove products on their own.products on their own.

• Three classes of recalls:Three classes of recalls:I : dangerous or defective products,I : dangerous or defective products, serious health serious health

problems or death problems or death

II: temporary health problem, slight threat of a II: temporary health problem, slight threat of a serious nature serious nature

III - violate FDA labeling or manufacturing III - violate FDA labeling or manufacturing regulations, but are unlikely to cause any adverse regulations, but are unlikely to cause any adverse health reaction. health reaction.

RecallsRecalls

• Castleberry’s Food Company – 7/21/07Castleberry’s Food Company – 7/21/07– Multilple brands, mainly processed meat Multilple brands, mainly processed meat

productsproducts

– Natural Balance is a brand ofNatural Balance is a brand ofdog food that is recalled by samedog food that is recalled by samecompanycompany

RecallsRecalls

• February 14, 2007 – PeterPan and February 14, 2007 – PeterPan and Great Value Peanut butter – Great Value Peanut butter – Salmonella Salmonella

Product codes beginning with 2111-Product codes beginning with 2111-

InadequaciesInadequacies

• In March 2007 alone, 850 shipments In March 2007 alone, 850 shipments of grains, fish, vegetables, nuts, spice, of grains, fish, vegetables, nuts, spice, oils detained were detained by FDA.oils detained were detained by FDA.– Only 1.3% of food imports are inspected Only 1.3% of food imports are inspected

by FDA.by FDA.

– Means that upwards of Means that upwards of 6500065000 shipments of imported food are shipments of imported food are contaminated but not caught by the FDA.contaminated but not caught by the FDA.

Reasons…Reasons…

• USDA given most of $1.7 billion USDA given most of $1.7 billion federal budget for food safety, but only federal budget for food safety, but only responsible for 20% of imported food.responsible for 20% of imported food.– USDA requires foreign inspection USDA requires foreign inspection

certificates, and are able to inspect certificates, and are able to inspect everything being imported. everything being imported.

• FDA gets ~24% of budget, and around FDA gets ~24% of budget, and around 80% of responsibility for imported 80% of responsibility for imported food.food.

ReasonsReasons

• FDA and USDA methods of FDA and USDA methods of regulation enforcement:regulation enforcement:– Return imported contaminated food to Return imported contaminated food to

sourcesource

– Destroy imported contaminated food Destroy imported contaminated food

– Issue recall after problem has broken Issue recall after problem has broken outout

ReferencesReferences• U.S. food imports rarely inspectedU.S. food imports rarely inspected

– http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18132087/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18132087/

• http://www.foodsafety.govhttp://www.foodsafety.gov• http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/list.htmlhttp://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/list.html• http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/• http://www.fsis.usda.gov/http://www.fsis.usda.gov/• http://riley.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?http://riley.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?

info_center=16&tax_level=1/info_center=16&tax_level=1/• http://www.castleberrys.com/news_productrecall.asphttp://www.castleberrys.com/news_productrecall.asp• http://www.personalinjurylawyeramerica.com/peanut-butter-http://www.personalinjurylawyeramerica.com/peanut-butter-

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