11.01.09
Accounting for nearly 40% of all food-borne outbreaks linked to FDA-regulated food, leafy greens, eggs and tuna top the list of 10 riskiest foods, according to a report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), Washington, D.C. More than 1500 separate, definable outbreaks were associated with the top 10 riskiest FDA-regulated foods, causing nearly 50,000 reported illnesses. CSPI says the presence of so many healthy foods on such a list—which also includes tomatoes, sprouts and berries—should compel the U.S. Senate to follow the House of Representatives and pass legislation that reforms food safety laws. In July, the House passed the Food Safety Enhancement Act with broad, bipartisan support. That measure would give FDA authority to require food processors to design and implement food safety plans, provide specific safety standards that growers would have to meet, and require FDA to visit high-risk facilities every 12 months or less—and most other facilities every 3-4 years. In the Senate, similar legislation, sponsored by Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL), is pending. “Outbreaks give the best evidence of where and when the food safety system is failing to protect the public,” said CSPI staff attorney Sarah Klein, the lead author of the report. “It is clearly time for FDA’s reliance on industry self-regulation to come to an end. The absence of safety plans or frequent inspections unfortunately means that some of our favorite and most healthful foods also top the list of the most risky.”