CURRENT ISSUE
| Cover Story |
| Columns |
| The Safe Zone: State of Safety |
| Column | |
| By Lee Biars | |
| Tuesday, 01 May 2007 | |
 Only about 1 percent of all the food Americans eat is ever inspected! Not very reassuring, is it? If you said the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Department of Health and Human Services, or the Department of Homeland Security, you would be right – sort of. Let me explain. There are actually 15 government agencies that administer 30 laws pertaining to food safety, but no one’s really sure who does what, and there’s no single agency that oversees the inspection processes to make sure all the i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed. The fact of the matter is that while each of these agencies has a hand in ensuring food safety for the American consumer, only about 1 percent of all the food Americans eat is ever inspected! Not very reassuring, is it? Bad Planning Spinach, pet food and peanut butter all have been recent sources of foodborne illness outbreaks resulting in serious illness or death. With such a wide variety of food products that have been tainted, it is clear that anything and everything we bring into our homes and restaurants – and ultimately put into our bodies – should be viewed as potentially hazardous to eat. This is why it is disturbing that the government has no organized plan with regard to food safety, and no specific organization devoted to overseeing the processes that examine the safety of our food products. Positive Steps The news isn’t all bad, however. The FDA has just assigned Dr. David Acheson as the new assistant commissioner for food protection, the first time such a position has been created. The appointment of a “food safety czar” means that at the very least the powers that be are aware that food safety is an issue of national concern. Although many proponents of food safety see this as nothing more than a PR move to lull America into a false sense of security, it at least means that someone will be overseeing something related to food safety, which is more than we have seen in the past. The Warning Signs We live in a time when heightened awareness of every potential danger to the American public is at an all-time high, with the lone exception of our food supply. We have government agencies dedicated to terrorist plots, harmful chemicals, illegal weapons, drugs, mail bombs, etc. The government is making a monumental effort to protect the American people from just about everything you could possibly think of – except the food we put into our bodies. In addition to that upsetting 1 percent of inspected food, it’s equally shocking that the number of food safety inspectors has decreased by 15 percent over the last four years – and the FDA only gets around to inspecting each food processing plant an average of once every five to 10 years. Is this an area where we really need to be making budget cuts? The Good Guys Some major proponents of food safety on Capitol Hill are trying to push through legislation that will unify all food safety efforts by creating a single agency that will oversee everything having to do with our food supply and food safety. Among them are Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), both of whom have become the national spokespeople for the improvement of our national food safety practices. DeLauro has also introduced a bill that would allow the FDA to order recalls of food products. As it stands now, only food manufacturers are allowed to recall their own products, which indicates a clear conflict of interest. Grassroots Efforts As a foodservice operator, you have more power than you may think. The first thing I would suggest would be to write a letter or e-mail explaining why you feel food safety is an important issue, and what you feel could be done to improve the current status quo. Send this correspondence to your mayor, governor, senators, representatives – even to President Bush and Vice President Cheney. You can also send this letter to any foodservice-related organization you belong to, such as the National Restaurant Association or your state’s restaurant association. Visit www.restaurant.org for more. What You Can Control Next, you should do everything in your power to ensure the food that enters your restaurant is safe to consume. I recommend the following: • Perform periodic audits of your suppliers: Do you know where your meat is coming from? Are your fruits and vegetables thoroughly washed by the farms you buy them from? Are the holding temperatures at your local distributor appropriate? These are all things you need to know. • Make sure your employees are washing their hands correctly and often – Improper hand-washing procedures are the No. 1 cause of foodborne illness. • Educate your staff from top to bottom in food safety – There are many ways to make sure your employees understand the basics of food safety, including on-line training, seminars and food safety classes. • Perform a food safety audit of your establishment – Take one of your health inspection checklists and walk through and see where/if your establishment is guilty of any violations. I strongly recommend doing this once a week or every other week. • When food is received, make sure it is visually inspected before being stocked – Keep an eye out for dented cans, rips in packaging and any other signs of tampering. Be Proactive The fact of the matter is that as a country, we are not doing everything in our power to make sure the food we sell, serve and eat is safe to consume. Although our government may not be doing everything in its power to protect our food supply, you have the power to look out for your customers by making sure the food you serve them is safe. Look at your establishment as your own country, and you are the government. Make sure the food you “import” is inspected thoroughly by having a system in place that ensures safe food-handling procedures are being followed at all times, and maintain a self-policing system that will provide a culture that is sensitive to key food safety concepts and practices. Lee Biars is the director of industry relations for Safe Food Solutions. He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or www.safefoodsolutions.com. |
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