Egg Recalls Reveal Scrambled Food Safety System
Media Contacts
WISPIRG
MADISON, September 8– Last month’s nationwide recall of half a billion eggs was just one of more than 85 recalls involving 153 food companies since July 2009. During this time, the U.S. Senate has failed to pass needed protections, according to Recipe for Disaster, a Study released today by WISPIRG, the Consumer Federation of America, and the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
According to this study, 54 recalls have occurred in Wisconsin due to contamination by Salmonella and other bacteria related to food borne illness in the last 14 months. For example, in March, Wisconsinites learned that black pepper was recalled and then in May, they learned about romaine lettuce. The food was already on store shelves or in Wisconsin kitchens when these recalls were announced.
“It seems as though every one of us heard about the egg recall as we sat down to breakfast and had to wonder where the omelet on our plate came from,” said WISPIRG Program Associate Kyle Bailey. “But the problem is more than just eggs. It’s our failed food safety net and the 14 months we’ve had to wait for the Senate to finish the job of fixing it.”
In July 2009, the House of Representatives passed the Food Safety Enhancement Act (H.R. 2749) to update our food safety net. In November 2009, the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee passed its version of the bill, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (S. 510); but no floor action has yet been scheduled in the Senate and Americans continue to be at risk.
“I believe Congress must do everything in its power to help ensure the safety of our food supply,” said Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (WI-02). “Recent outbreaks of food-borne illnesses have demonstrated that they are not random, unpreventable occurrences, but, rather, are due to widespread problems in our food safety system. As WISPIRG aptly notes in this report, the current system is a recipe for disaster. I strongly supported legislation passed by the House to close gaps in our food safety laws and give the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) new authorities, new tools, and a new source of funding to protect our food supply. With lives at stake, it is time for the Senate to act,” Baldwin said.
Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farm’s voluntary recall happened two and a half months after the first Salmonella illness was detected because the FDA does not have the authority or resources to properly safeguard our food. The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act would update the 70 year old law governing the FDA: requiring a mandatory frequency of inspections, stronger traceback provisions, and mandatory recall authority.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that tens of millions of Americans get sick every year from food borne illnesses like Salmonella and E. coli, with hundreds of thousands hospitalized and 5,000 deaths each year. The Food and Drug Administration, which is responsible for the safety of much of the food sold in the U.S., has not had its authority updated in seventy years.
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WISPIRG is a statewide grassroots consumer advocacy organization.
