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There
are major gaps in the nation's food safety system, including
outdated practices around meat and poultry inspection, according
to a new study released Wednesday.
According to the non-profit health advocacy group Trust
for America's Health (TFAH), major gaps in the nation's
food safety system include obsolete laws, misallocation
of
resources and inconsistencies among major food safety agencies.
The group also said inadequate resources are spent on fighting
bacteria threats such as dangerous strains of E. coli and
Salmonella.
The report, supported by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation, called for collaboration among food producers,
processors, distributors, retailers and consumers and government
agencies and specifically recommended:
- Repeal
outdated end-product and processing plant inspection mandates
and
shift the emphasis of inspection practices to preventing
outbreaks and illnesses through the entire food production
process and supply chain
- Create
mechanisms that allow inspection practices to keep pace
with changes in the industry
- Establish
uniform performance standards and best practices that
are enforceable through actions including detention and
recall authority and civil penalty authority
- Require
food safety education for commercial food handlers
- Improve
monitoring of foreign imports and international practices
- Strengthen
the Food and Drug Administration with increased funding
and aligning resources with high risk threats, with the
long-term goal of realigning all federal food safety functions.
The full report
is available on TFAH's Web
site. |
