New Food Safety Rules Expect to Decrease Foodborne Illness

To prevent cross-contamination DO NOT use the same cutting board for different types of foods

Approximately 3,000 people die per year from foodborne illness according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  This number is astounding and preventable.  Unfortunately it is common to hear about outbreaks and deaths from foodborne illness, but it is not common to hear how we can resolve these issues.  Something must be done to ensure the safety of our food.  Thankfully, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) proposed new rules on Friday that seek to solve this pressing issue by requiring farmers to maintain certain safety standards against contamination.  These include making sure animals stay out of the fields, the irrigation water is clean, and that workers wash their hands.  Food safety plans will have to be sent to the government by food manufacturers to prove that their business is clean and safe. These regulations would apply to foods that are eaten raw like leafy greens, berries, and melons.

In 2011, there was an outbreak of listeria in cantaloupe, which can cause fever, diarrhea, and nausea.  This took the lives of 33 people. When the FDA inspected the site where the cantaloupes came from, they found dirty water on the floor and processing equipment that was also dirty.  In 2012, there were 42 cases of salmonella from peanut butter.  FDA inspectors found that employees were not washing their hands, and there were also open trailers that contained peanuts in which birds were able to fly over and contaminate.

New rules also include more unexpected inspections performed by the FDA and the authority to shut down places that do not follow the guidelines.  Rules will soon be proposed to ensure the safety of imported foods.

Let this remind you that you can practice safe food handling at home by washing your fruits and vegetables before we cut into them.  Make sure to change cutting boards and utensils after preparing raw meats and then cutting up a fresh salad, for example.  Using the same cutting boards can cause cross contamination.  This will limit the spread of bacteria and help keep you and your family safe!

What will you do to ensure proper food handling?

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