According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, food borne diseases cause approximately 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths in the United States each year. Researchers at the USDA Economic Research Service estimate that the annual cost of human illness caused by food borne pathogens is $5.6-$9.4 billion. The cost of prevention falls upon those in the food processing chain. There are an estimated 60,000 U.S.-based food processors that would need to perform lengthy microbial testing and expensive immunoassays on materials suspected of carrying food borne pathogens.
Some meat processors, such as Costco voluntarily hold themselves to higher standards than those mandated by the government. However, due to the high costs and loose regulation, many beef processors have shirked from carrying out rigorous testing. Typical food safety and sanitation testing performed requires traditional laboratory testing by growing up cultures on culture plates. This requires laboratory equipment, trained personnel, high expense, and lengthy time (days) to receive results.
In a study by NY senator Kirsten Gillibrand found that despite no current federal requirement for meat grinders to test their products for the virus, the number of annual recalls nationally of ground beef and other beef products contaminated with E. coli is in the double digits. As recently as December 4, 2009 Beef Packers, Inc., is recalling approximately 22,723 pounds of ground beef products that may be linked to an outbreak of salmonellosis. Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., called for the closure of Beef Packers in the wake of the recall.
Senator Gillibrand has introduced legislation titled the “E. coli Eradication Act.” The legislation would for the first time mandate E. coli inspections of all ground beef. The legislation would require all plants that process ground beef to test their products regularly when it is ground and again before it is combined with other beef or ingredients, such as spices, and packaged. If ground beef is found to be contaminated, the bill requires the company to properly dispose of the contaminated batch, or cook the meat to a temperature that destroys the e. coli.
Senator Gillibrand has also announced a commitment to improving public education in the event of food outbreaks. To make sure information about food-borne illnesses and recalls is distributed accurately and efficiently, Senator Gillibrand is authoring the Consumer Recall Notification Act – legislation that would direct the Secretaries of the Department of Health and Human Services and the USDA, as well as the Commissioner of the FDA to improve communication among states, state and local health departments, food distributors and vendors to provide consumers with faster and more complete information.The proposed legislation also addresses the safety of imported foods and recall response.
While the cry to improve food safety is not new, analogous to the prohibition amendment, costs and difficulty of enforcement has stymied concrete legal action. New technology in the food safety space are set to change the balance of power. Neogen, a Michigan based company has developed technology that can test for food borne pathogens in minutes instead of hours or days. DuPont has deployed a system that yields similar results. VEI has developed confirmation tests that give fast confirmation of specific bacteria. These new technologies save time by eliminating consecutive growth plates usually required to confirm specific bacteria. Test results are made available in less than 30 minutes instead of days. These new technologies allow companies to test more often, with less cost and greater accuracy. The VEI test can does not require a specialized technician or laboratory.
Moreover, the technology is scalable and may be used to detect pathogens in other foods such as peanut (butter) and vegtables. New technology may provide the critical link needed to make Senator Gillibrand’s proposal a reality.
The lead story on AOL on Dec. 31 was a summary of the contaminated food situation affecting the nation.
Here’s the link:
http://www.sphere.com/nation/article/food-safety-in-2010/19296801?icid=main|htmlws-main-w|dl1|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sphere.com%2Fnation%2Farticle%2Ffood-safety-in-2010%2F19296801&sms_ss=email