Tasty, Healthy and Safe

We are what we eat, the saying goes. So let’s hope what we eat is not only tasty and good for us, but safe as well.

To that end, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has proposed new food safety rules aimed at reducing foodborne illnesses that kill or sicken thousands of Americans annually. It’s a good thing, too, because according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), around 1 in 6 (or 48 million people) gets sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and The rules are required by the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) that was signed into law two years ago. It was the first food safety overhaul in the United States in more than 70 years, according to Reuters.

The rules will likely add to the cost of producing and distributing food in the United States, but if they are effective in reducing foodborne illnesses they will be worthwhile not only for those consumers who might otherwise have been affected, but to the food producers and insurance companies who insure those businesses as well.

After all, safer food means fewer foodborne illnesses and fewer lawsuits against producers and handlers of food as a result.

One new rule requires makers of food to be sold in the United States to develop a formal plan for preventing their food products from causing foodborne illness. The rule would also require them to have plans for correcting any problems that arise, and it applies to both foreign- or domestic-based facilities.

Food manufacturers would be expected to comply with the preventive controls rules within one year after the final rules are published in the Federal Register; small and very small businesses would be given additional time.

Another rule proposes enforceable safety standards for the production and harvesting of produce on farms.

Larger farms would need to comply with most of the produce safety requirements within 26 months after the final rule is published in the Federal Register. Small and very small farms would have additional time to comply, and all farms would have additional time to comply with certain requirements related to water quality.

The FDA is soliciting public comment on both rules. It also expects to issue additional rules this year that would include new responsibilities for importers to verify that food products grown or processed overseas are as safe as domestically produced food and accreditation standards to strengthen the quality of third party food safety audits overseas.

Critics have accused the FDA of dragging its feet in developing these rules. Hopefully the delay means they have been carefully researched and thoughtfully crafted.

Meanwhile, who can argue against safe, healthy and delicious food? I sure can’t. Bon appetit, y’all!

Topics USA