How is it that dozens of people can die and thousands of people can become sick by eating food purchased in our local supermarkets? There have been numerous recalls of food products in Buffalo and Western New York in the last few years.
The AP, and USA Today report that congressional investigators seek answers about the cause of an outbreak of listeria in cantaloupe linked to 30 deaths and many illnesses last year. A third-party auditors gave Colorado’s Jensen Farms a ‘superior’ rating just before the outbreak. It is believed the auditors largely ignored government guidance on food safety. The auditors are hired by the companies they inspect.
Also, yesterday the New York Times criticized in FDA restriction on the use of cephalosporin antibiotics as being “far from sufficient”.
The Times calls for the FDA to swiftly deal with the threat caused by agricultural antibiotics,” as creating “a perfect environment for the evolution of pathogens resistant to antibiotics.”
The Times editorial states the FDA needs to start considering “the public’s health as carefully as it considers the interests of intensive agriculture and pharmaceutical companies.” When we think of dangerous products we should not have to think about the food we serve our family.
