Hatching a Food Safety Plan

OK, they're trying but it's still not enough. I'm talking about VP Biden's recent announcements about improved safety measures his administrations is taking with regard to the nation's food supply. For starters, eggs will now have to be refrigerated on the farm as well as in transit to the store and the Food Safety and Inspection Service is working on developing new tests to reduce salmonella in chickens and turkeys.

Great ideas for sure--and long overdue--but what about the archaic practice of separating the tasks of food safety inspection between two government entities: the FDA and the Department of Agriculture? Which is one of the reasons that the Department of Agriculture (responsible for meat) inspects pepperoni pizzas while the FDA inspects cheese ones.

But hey, one has to start small and baby steps are better than no steps. The mandate to refrigerate eggs on the farm and in transit is estimated to to cost producers $81 million per year but at the same time is estimated to reduce food borne illnesses by 60%. We are sure to hear moans and groans from some farm lobbies but many of the suppliers are already refrigerating their eggs at the source.

In addition, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is also promising to increase their enforcement efforts at meat-processing plants in an effort to reduce e-coli. At the same time, the FDA has promised to issue to new guidelines for the handling of fresh fruits and vegetables.

No mention of combining the efforts into ONE Food Safety Office BUT instead promises to beef up staff at both government agencies, including the commitment of the FDA to hire a new deputy commissioner of foods and the FSIS to hire a new medical officer.

That might be too easy.