[Viewpoint] Industry Makes Progress in Battle

As a trade magazine journalist covering the food processing industry, I was heartened by a recent headline I came across in my local newspaper — "Food Illnesses at Record Lows." The story focused on the comments of Dr. Robert Tauxe, a leading food scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), who reported that based on government statistics, the nation’s food supply may be safer today than at any time in recent history. While such news may come as a surprise to many Americans, particularly those unsettled by a series of high-profile E. coli outbreaks this past year, it reaffirms what food processing professionals have known for some time ... the U.S. food supply is among the safest in the world.

The CDC attributes the decline to ongoing public education and enhanced industry controls and inspections. In addition, thanks to the government’s Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) — a collaborative effort of CDC, USDA and FDA — the government has been able to effectively track outbreaks of foodborne illness and assist public health officials to better understand the epidemiology of foodborne illnesses in the United States.

The result is "really solid progress" in the battle against this serious public health threat, according to Tauxe. Consider the following statistics: In comparing the incidence of foodborne illnesses from 2005 to 1996-1998, the CDC discovered a dramatic decline in the incidence of illness in virtually every category. For instance, the CDC estimates a 43 percent decline in Shigella, a 32 percent decline in Listeria, a 30 percent decline in Campylobacter, a 29 percent decline in the 0157 strain of E. coli and a 9 percent decline in Salmonella, impressive numbers due, in part, to the food processing industry’s growing investment in systems and procedures designed to prevent the spread of foodborne illness.

When you consider that CDC estimates there are approximately 76 million cases of foodborne illness in the United States every year, with 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths, such a dramatic decline points to the effectiveness of both the government’s and the industry’s food safety initiatives.

There are clouds on the horizon, however, so the industry shouldn’t be too quick to pat itself on the back. Tauxe tempered his remarks by saying this trend could be reversed if fruit and vegetable growers don’t respond aggressively to issues like the spinach scare that occurred in California late last year. By all accounts, steps are being taken to address the problem, but it reaffirms the fact that the food processing industry needs to be vigilant in addressing the country’s food safety and security concerns.

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