June 12, 2008
As investigators comb tomato farms to pinpoint the source of a salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least 225 people, the fingerpointing on Capitol Hill and elsewhere is fast and furious.
All too often, the ire over foodborne disease has been directed solely at government. Although some of the criticism is valid, it's too simplistic an assessment of what ails the nation's food supply chain. The ongoing tomato recall comes on the heels of outbreaks involving spinach, green onions and other ready-to-eat produce in recent years. If policymakers and the public are truly serious about fighting foodborne illness, it's time to stop playing the blame game and start thinking hard about systemwide reform in which food safety responsibility is shouldered by a beefed-up U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the food industry and consumers.
Right now, the FDA is the focus of congressional hearings following the tomato recall. Much of the talk centers on the FDA's budget, as it well should. The FDA is charged with the safety of nearly everything on retailers' shelves, from aspirin to lipstick to lettuce to prescription drugs like Lipitor. Yet too often, particularly in recent years, funds have been diverted or simply not approved to ensure the agency can carry out its vast responsibilities.
The hearings should also take a hard look at expanding the FDA's authority so that it can mandate good safety practices all along the food safety pipeline. The 2006 spinach E. coli outbreak, which killed three people and sickened more than 200, illustrates why. Based on what was learned in the outbreak, grower guidelines were developed to reduce the risk of field contamination. Yet the guidelines are voluntary. Just one producer who chooses to cut costs by not complying places the public and the industry at risk of another outbreak. The FDA's limited ability to inspect growers' facilities -- the U.S. Department of Agriculture has much broader access to the meatpacking industry -- further hinders the agency.
But if it had unlimited funding and thousands more inspectors, the FDA couldn't do everything alone. Industry must wield its clout. Growers, processors, retailers and restaurant chains must develop and enforce tougher safety standards for all produce -- from field to grocery aisle. One idea worthy of further consideration calls for the industry to augment FDA oversight by using independent inspectors to audit individual firms.
Consumers share the responsibility for preventing foodborne outbreaks. Unsafe food-handling practices at home can undo in seconds any improvements made by the FDA or industry. The public has also not embraced one measure that could substantially reduce foodborne illness: food irradiation. It's time for a fresh look at this technology's potential.
Eventually, tomatoes will make their way back into America's salads, hamburgers and tacos. The lesson of their disappearance shouldn't be forgotten. Food safety must be a top priority, and everyone has a stake in improving the system.
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