August 1, 2018
DON’T EAT THAT
From salads to cereal to crackers…foodA recalls have increased over the last decade. And theA gov’t warns of more to come.
Reason to worry?
Not necessarily.
Why It Matters
“These are the kinds of statistics you should expect in Bangladesh, not here.”
Jayden Hanson, Center for Food Safety
- Foodborne illnesses have tripled from a decade ago (CDC).
- 1 in 6 develop a foodborne illness (i.e. E.Coli, salmonella, listeria) each year, killing 3K (CDC).
Things to Know:
- USDA regulates meat, poultry & eggs; FDA all other foods.
- Recalls are mostly recommended by gov’t & “voluntary” done by a company OR (very seldom) required.
- Annual USDA recalls rose 83% from 2012-2017,A FDA recalls are up 93%A in same period, according to industry consultant, Stericycle. FDA disputes this data.
Why All the Recalls?
New technology has regulators & companies able to track down contaminants more quickly.
Industry consolidation has different products using the same supply chain, so an issue with one supplier can affect multiple products.
Important to Note
It’s not just toxic bacteria that lead to recalls. Food allergens made up nearly half (47%) of FDA food recalls & 29% of USDA recalls in the first quarter of this year.
Congress required food labels to include allergens in 2006, so if an item comes in contact with something not listed on packaging, it is recalled.
You might be surprised to learn how long it takes from the time of discovery of a problem to pulling an item off store shelves. An Inspector General investigation found it took an average 57 days. A poignant investigation takes a closer look – Visit SmartHerNews.com.
- Victims blame FDA for food-recall failures:
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/04/fda-food-recall-failures-victims-679636 - Current FDA & USDA Recalls Listed Here:
https://www.foodsafety.gov/recalls/recent/index.html - CDC Outbreaks:
https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/outbreaks/multistate-outbreaks/outbreaks-list.html - FDA warns more salmonella recalls to come:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/more-salmonella-related-food-recalls-ahead-fda-warns-citing-suspect-whey-ingredient/ - From Ritz crackers to McDonald’s salads, food recalls — and safety questions — are on the rise:
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/27/food-recalls-are-increasing-but-that-doesnt-mean-your-food-is-unsafe.html - 48M people each year get E. Coli, salmonella from contaminated foods:
https://www.indystar.com/story/news/2018/06/14/48-m-people-each-year-get-e-coli-salmonella-contaminated-food/699739002/ - Stericycle Recalls:
https://www.stericycleexpertsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Expert-Solutions-US-Recall-Index-Q1-2018.pdf
by Jenna Lee,
