Over the last few years you have no doubt heard about numerous food recalls because of contamination. Usually the FDA works with the manufacturer or supplier to manage such a recall. But how well does the agency do its job of keeping food safe?
FDA Found Lacking:
The Office of the Inspector General has reviewed the FDA’s response in 30 different instances of tainted food. The agency was found to lack policies and procedures that would protect the public health. There were unsatisfactory delays in keeping food safe and removing suspected foods from supermarkets. The report said,
“As a result, consumers remained at risk of illness or death for several weeks after FDA was aware of a potentially hazardous food in the supply chain.”
In one case, cucumbers contaminated with Salmonella made 900 people sick and killed six. The first cases were reported in July of 2015, but the produce was not removed from shelves until September.
In other cases, nut butter carrying Salmonella was not recalled until 165 days after FDA identified the offending product. Cheese with the dangerous bacteria Listeria was left on the market for three months after FDA became aware of the problem.
When Will FDA Make Keeping Food Safe a Top Priority?
This problem is not new. The GAO reported in 2012 that FDA’s food advisory and recall process was inadequate. The FDA notes that since then it has managed to bring about thousands of recalls to keep unsafe food out of markets and homes, but it acknowledges that it needs to move more swiftly when it comes to keeping food safe.
