New Zealand Celsias

Americans probably have deadly diseases on their minds after the movie “Contagion” was number one at the box office on its opening weekend, but maybe they’re worrying about the wrong thing.  According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)  , each year outbreaks of food-borne illness strike nearly 50 million Americans, killing thousands.  Various forms of the bacteria, E. coli  , are especially virulent.  But on September 13, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it is taking new steps to fight E. coli   and to protect the safety of the country’s food supply. 

Six different groups of pathogenic E. coli will be declared adulterants, and any raw ground beef or tenderized steak found to contain the bacteria would be prohibited from sale to consumers.  The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)  is launching a new testing program to detect these toxic pathogens and prevent them from reaching the public.  As a result of the program, if any of the harmful strains of E. coli are found in raw ground beef or its precursors, the products will be prohibited from being sold.  These six strains can result in severe illness and even death, with young children and the elderly at the highest risk.

In a press release from the USDA dated September 13, 2011, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack   stated, “The Obama Administration is committed to protecting our food supply and preventing illnesses before they happen.  Today’s announcement does exactly that by targeting and eliminating contaminated products from the market.  Too often, we are caught reacting to a problem instead of preventing it.  This new policy will help stop problems before they start.”

The announcement was part of a government-wide commitment to coping with emerging microbial threats.  The USDA, its federal partners, and the President’s Food Safety Working Group   have collaborated on a new, public health-focused approach to food safety passed on prevention, strengthening surveillance and enforcement, and improving response.  FSIS will begin testing for the six strains of E. coli and enforcing the new policy in March 2012.  The organization has announced several new measures over the past two years to safeguard the food supply, prevent food-borne illness, and improve consumer’s knowledge about the food they eat.

The September 13 news follows an announcement by the FDA earlier in September   that two new pilot projects are underway designed to help both the agency and the food-service industry trace products responsible for food-borne illnesses.  The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)  , a nonprofit involved in food science, food technology, and related professions, will carry out the pilot program under an existing FDA contract.  The Food Safety Modernization Act   requires the FDA to establish at least two pilot projects: one involving produce, and the other involving processed foods.  The act was signed into law last January and directs the FDA to establish recordkeeping requirements for high-risk foods to aid in tracing contaminated products.