Commentary

This editorial offers short-term and long-term solutions for the problems we have had—-too many food scares in recent years.

In addition to that, these are not times when one needs to have any other scares raised, but a link is worth mentioning.

Some advocates of the “buy local” and farmer’s markets have been making the point for some time that a local food supply is a homeland security issue. Local and regionally grown foods would not be as vulnerable to tampering.

This editorial notes that the FDA had to threaten to use anti-terrorism laws to get the records of the Peanut Corporation of America (the source of this salmonella outbreak). Right there you can see the link between food safety and anti-terrorism efforts.

We need food safety that works for every imaginable reason. Let’s get on with it.

New York Times

…”While most successful food producers are far more diligent — big name-brand peanut butter is considered safe, for example — American consumers have faced far too many food-supply emergencies in the last few years. Congress and the Obama administration must finally make food safety a serious priority.

“The new agriculture secretary, Tom Vilsack, is talking about creating “a modern, unified food-safety agency capable of reducing the risk of food-borne illness.” Many thoughtful food-safety experts have been calling for such an approach for years. Today’s patchwork system requires frozen pizzas to be inspected by two agencies: one if they’re cheese and another if they’re pepperoni. (Emphasis added)

“A one-stop agency could take time in Washington. Until then, Mr. Vilsack should look at ways to strengthen current federal and state systems for avoiding food hazards. Congress needs to find more money for inspectors, especially at the Food and Drug Administration.(Emphasis added)

“The F.D.A. also should have the authority to recall tainted food quickly, establish strict federal standards on cleanliness and create an advanced system for tracking foods so that any tainted products can be culled from the food supply more quickly. Finally, Congress should require a more efficient way to test food products and give government food inspectors the authority to review those results more easily.

“What was particularly galling about the latest recall was how federal inspectors had to threaten to use anti-terrorism laws to finally gain access to the Peanut Corporation of America’s testing reports. Those reports showed how samples were re-tested if they were contaminated and how some products were shipped even before the tests showing salmonella had come in.” (Emphasis added)

 Source:  New York Times, Editorial,  February 17, 2009