According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, protecting consumers from unsafe food is a "winnable battle" that we're not completely winning.
The CDC reports that contaminated food kills thousands of people in the United States every year, and sickens millions more. It seems, then, that preventing foodborne diseases is an unsurmountable challenge. But the organization thinks otherwise. It put "Food Safety" on its list of "Winnable Battles" - a new report card of sorts on realistic efforts to reduce dangers to public safety.
The CDC outlines several challenges that exist today in reducing food safety dangers. They include:
- More multistate outbreaks of food contaminations
- New and stronger germs that are resistant to antibiotics
- New types of prepackaged food that can be dangerous, such as bagged spinach
Despite these growing challenges, the organization documents some success in combating foodborne diseases. For example, the CDC says that a type of E. coli infection - one that comes from diseased ground beef - significantly decreased between 2006 and 2015.
Salmonella Infections Kill More People than Other Foodborne Diseases
However, Salmonella infections, which the CDC affects 1 million people each year, actually increased a bit over this same time. These infections kill more people than any other food-based infliction.
Salmonella infections, according to the CDC's report, are especially dangerous for several reasons. They can be found in various foods, from processed peanut butter to meats, eggs, and fruits. And the contamination may occur anywhere along the farm-to-table chain: from farmers' fields to chefs' kitchens.
Steps Businesses Should Take to Prevent Contaminated Food
Therefore, there are many steps businesses should take to prevent Salmonella infections. Processing factories should be clean. Safe food growing procedures must be followed. Even trucks that deliver foods can create unsafe food products. They need to be disinfected between shipments, and checked to make sure they are refrigerating foods properly.
When it comes to keeping the public safe from dangerous products, there all sorts of "winnable battles." If only more manufacturers, distributers and sellers always acted in their customers' best interests. But one negligent action can mean severe harm and hardship to thousands, if not millions of consumers today.
If you had a loved one die or you were seriously hurt due to an unsafe food product, or product of any type, visit an experienced personal injury attorney, who will review your case and outline your legal options.
The choice of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely on advertising.
Authored by: Gray Ritter Graham posted in Personal Injury on Wednesday, December 7, 2016.