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Diet Safety: Is there really anything 'safe' about it?

By Megan Roth

Considering the recent updates that have been made in the news, I figure it’s only right we give an update to our Injuryboard readers (granted, the vast majority of you probably stay on top of the news anyways, but, regardless, we think it’s a good idea).

Unfortunately, governmental safety inspections of food processing facilities may not be as in-depth and strict as one may think (or hope). In fact, recent reports have divulged it’s just the opposite.

Just yesterday, the AP released an article stating: “It’s hard to find a state where food producers are required to alert regulators if internal tests show possible contamination at their plants.”

Now that’s scary – what’s the point of having regulators if they’re not going to, well, regulate?

The AP also gave insight to the federal law mandating the number of times a peanut processing facility must be inspected each year – oh wait, there is no federal law requiring such inspections. The FDA asks states to base inspections of the risk levels of certain products. But, though plants processing high-risk foods are expected to inspected more often, they aren’t forced to.

Well, I suppose this partially explains the recent salmonella outbreak, which has resulted in the recall of over 100 peanut butter containing products, sickened over 500 people and killed eight.

What’s worse is that the lack of federal mandate over such processes and inspections also means they don’t enforce the actions to be taken when an inspection test comes back positive.

In the current media frenzy, it’s been well-publicized that the Georgia plant responsible for the recent contamination tested positive (though plant officials deny knowing other products were contaminated. Which I believe, by the way. I’m not so skeptical I think someone would risk poisoning hundreds simply to make an extra buck so I don’t believe they intentionally distributed contaminated goods; however, I will say they should’ve taken precautionary steps and disposed of all products that had even the slightest possibility of being infected with the bacteria).

The president of a lab company that conducts investigations of such facilities (and has tested the Georgia plant on several occasions) thinks so as well. On Thursday he was called to testify before Congress where he commented that, even if an investigation of the plant turned up only one or two containers of a contaminated product, the plant should “throw the whole lot out.”

Granted, it would’ve been quite the financial strain on the processing plant; yet, they still would’ve been way better off than they are today (heck, they would probably still be open)!

The investigation into this situation continues; as more products are recalled and individuals across the country continue to fall ill in result of consuming these contaminated products, the situation weighs heavy on the minds of many.

California representative (D) Henry Waxman (the chairman of the Congressional panel conducting the hearing into the outbreak) stated: “I am extremely troubled by reports that the plant tested positive for salmonella numerous times but nothing was done to ensure that the product did not go on the market."

Waxman also went on to say that the ongoing investigation shows that there are major gaps in the nation’s food safety system – gaps that affect each and every one of us (as consumers) and desperately need to be fixed.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Megan Roth

Full post as published by Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer on January 30, 2009 (boomark / email).