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Obama Orders New FDA Crackdown on Salmonella, E. Coli
President Barack Obama is ordering the Food and Drug Administration to step up efforts to control outbreaks of salmonella and E. coli bacteria, two common sources of food poisoning which are blamed for dozens of consumer deaths and hundreds of illnesses across the United States each year.
In recent years, outbreaks of bacteria in peanuts and peanut butter, pistachios, spinach, and other foods have been blamed for scores of food poisonings. As many as 150,000 Americans are sickened by E.coli and salmonella each year, with symptoms including diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fever. While most of those sickened recover with only mild to moderate symptoms, some victims develop more serious complications, including kidney failure and death.
The FDA has been criticized by some for failing to conduct timely inspections of food processing facilities, allowing contaminated food to reach millions of consumers, and being slow to respond to outbreaks of food poisoning.
Now, President Obama is announcing changes which are designed to make the FDA better suited to handle food poisoning outbreaks.
New FDA Post Created
The Obama administration has created a new deputy food commissioner post within the FDA to oversee safety in the wake of the recent outbreak of salmonella in peanuts and peanut butter, which was blamed for dozens of consumer deaths and more than 700 illnesses in 46 states. The outbreak resulted in the largest food recall in United States history, with some 3,200 peanut products pulled from store shelves.
The administration also said the FDA will create a better tracking system to keep tabs on where contaminated food comes from, making it easier to identify the sources of salmonella and E. coli outbreaks.
A Food Safety Working Group made the recommendations to the White House, which is expected to formally announce the new policies at a ceremony today.
Officials said by naming a single individual in the FDA to oversee food safety, the agency will be in a better position to more effectively and accurately monitor inspections and ensure the safety of the nation’s food supply.
Food-safety advocates and food producers called the Obama administration move “a large step in the right direction” in putting the focus on preventing contamination of food blamed for food poisoning.
New Food-Safety Laws in the Works
Federal legislation to overhaul the FDA’s food-safety program is working its way through Congress now, and the changes the Obama administration wants made are expected to be included in those new laws.
Also today, the FDA issued a new rule designed to avoid salmonella contamination in eggs. Egg producers must now increase monitoring for the bacteria and work harder to prevent it from spreading. Each year, about 79,000 people in the United States suffer illnesses caused by salmonella contamination, including about 30 who die due to salmonella in eggs, the FDA said.
The Obama administration also ordered the Food Safety and Inspection Service to come up with new standards by the end of this year to further reduce salmonella in turkey and poultry, as well as E. coli bacteria in beef. Improved testing for bacteria and surveillance of food-processing facilities that handle the foods are expected to be part of those new measures.
The White House said the new food-safety rules and regulations could cut food-poisoning cases by 60 percent and save about $1 billion in medical costs |
