With food contamination becoming more prevalent amid changing diets and production methods, food hygiene experts are blaming a broken government food inspection system and recommending tighter food safety standards, The Food Institute has learned.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified 31 pathogens that cause foodborne illness and estimates one in six Americans – some 48 million people – are affected annually, 3,000 of whom die.
The latest food contamination outbreak involved listeria at the Boar’s Head plant in southern Virginia. Some 7 million pounds of meat involving 71 products were recalled July 26 after it was discovered a sample of liverwurst had tested positive for L. monocytogenes, the bacteria that causes listeriosis.
Dozens of people have been sickened and nine deaths have been reported so far. Multiple government inspections of the plant in Jarratt, Virginia, over a period of months turned up dirty machinery, meat buildup on walls, puddles of blood on floors, leaking pipes and clogged drains, among other issues. Other forms of filth included insects, mold and fungus.
Mitzi Baum, CEO of Stop Foodborne Illness, questioned why the Boar’s Head plant was allowed to remain operating in light of its compliance issues.
“Clearly, the federal inspection system is broken,” Baum said.
“Basic food safety and sanitation concepts and culture were not in place. … Since listeriosis cases can take months to emerge, we likely have not seen a final case count. Consumers expect and deserve better than this.”
Dr. Mark Anton of Slimz Weight Loss Clinic said companies need to prioritize safety over profits and enact strict sanitation protocols.
“The government needs to increase unannounced inspections and issue harsh penalties for violations. Food producers must invest in safety systems and commit to continuous improvement. An integrated approach across the supply chain is required,” Anton said. “No system is perfect, but we can do far better.”
Ken Tobby of Organic Solace noted for the USDA and the Food and Drug Administration to be able to conduct more frequent, unannounced inspections, more resources need to be devoted.
A 2022 Politico investigation found by the time some contamination is discovered and people have been sickened or die, it’s too late to find and correct the problem behind the outbreak. It’s been more than a decade since Congress passed sweeping food safety standards, but the FDA has been slow to implement changes, and Politico said it found food safety was just not among the agency’s top priorities.
Neil Coole, BSI Americas’ Food Safety & Enterprise Partnerships director, said the recall process itself must be strengthened and made more transparent.
“The biggest mistake that I have seen brands make when they have a recall is a mix of poor and ineffective communication and a failure to take responsibility, many making vague statements, which is counterproductive considering that consumers need open and honest communication, especially in the event of a recall or health crisis,” Coole said.
“Another frustrating mistake that organizations make with recalls is [avoiding] an effective and unbiased root cause analysis, why did the recall happen and what can be done to prevent or reduce the likelihood of it happening again. Many organizations refuse to engage trusted and independent external partners to support this important work, usually highlighting the poor and, in many cases, toxic workplace culture that is an underlying factor in why these recalls happen in the first place.”
