The day after this post was published on Dec. 8, the US House of Representatives passed the food safety act, which helps the Food and Drug Administration prevent foodborne illnesses. The legislation has already passed in the US Senate. - Jim
Food producers, wholesalers, grocers, associations and others involved in food and beverage supply chains have made real progress this year in the fight against food-borne illnesses.
Salmonella, botulism and similar illnesses are serious business and have resulted in the loss of human life, an increase in health care expenses due to sicknesses, and high costs to the industry’s image and bottom line.
In fact, a 2010 report conducted by Ohio State consumer estimates that food-related illnesses cost the US $152 billion annually. You can browse a map that shows costs per state and per case, as well as the number of illnesses per state at the Produce Safety Project’s website.
Increased food safety is particularly important for fruit, vegetables and produce that are not always cooked before being eaten. So understandably, produce has received the bulk of the attention lately and is getting some special attention in the regulatory arena.
Basic produce traceability law has existed in the US since the 1930s, and the European Union also legally requires traceability for food. The Produce Traceability Initiative, though voluntary, is now being endorsed and followed by many companies as a way to ensure electronic traceability through the produce supply chain. The goal is to have every case of produce traceable by 2012.
This is good news because when illnesses do break out, every link in the supply chain that was involved in moving produce from the field to the kitchen table is examined. Without traceability, this is a time consuming process that can cause others to get sick in the time it takes for the contamination to be located.
Of course, big news on the food front in the last month is that the Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 has advanced in the Senate. This bill imposes new planning and record-keeping requirements on food producers and gives the FDA greater power to recall tainted food. But there are some legitimate issues in the language and workings of the bill, so if remains to be seen how it will play out in the coming year.
In another example of industry taking the lead, the Rapid Recall Exchange from the Food Marketing Institute, the Grocery Manufacturers Association and GS1US has received kudos from supermarkets and food manufacturers. Several grocers have added recall alerts to their websites, and new bar codes are helping retailers show consumers how to track the origins and expiration dates of their purchases.
I strongly believe that a joint industry-regulatory approach is the best way to improve safety in the food and beverage industry and prevent illnesses. So, congratulations to the companies and groups who are taking on this important mission and let’s keep up the good work.
GoGoGo!
Jim
More resources
Solutions for Food and Beverage
RFID Consulting
Photo Credit: Samuel M. Livingston