Caroline Smith DeWaal
Food Safety Director
Center for Science in the Public Interest
Seattle, Washington
April 11, 2008

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A nonprofit health advocacy and education organization, focusing on:
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Food safety
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Nutrition
Alcohol issues
Supported principally by 900,000 subscribers to
Nutrition Action HealthLetter and by foundation grants.
We accept no government or industry funding.

 The CDC estimates that foodborne diseases affect 76 million Americans annually
 An estimated 5,000 Americans die from foodborne diseases and another 325,000 people are hospitalized each year
 The worst cases of foodborne illness occur in the most vulnerable: the old, the young, and those with weakened immune systems

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CSPI started collecting data on food-borne illness outbreaks in
1997 and organized it by regulatory agency
The data was not available from
CDC without a FOIA; however, with our continued requests, CDC started posting yearly line listings on the internet
Starting in 1999, we publish annually our outbreaks organized by food category and by regulatory agency.

1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
Se af oo d lti
-I ng re di en t
Mu
Pro du ce
Po ul try
Be ef
Eg gs
Bo th
Po rk
D ai ry
Lu nch eo n ad s/
Ba ke ry
Be ve ra ge s
Bre
G ame
Outbreaks Illnesses
40000
35000
30000
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
Source: Outbreak Alert!
Center for Science in the Public Interest, 2007

“ The safety and quality of the U.S. food supply is governed by a highly complex system stemming from 30 principal laws related to food safety ”
GAO, Steps Should be Taken to Reduce Overlapping Inspections and Related Activities, May 17, 2005

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Pure Food and Drug Act-1906
Federal Meat Inspection Act-1907
Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act-1938
Public Health Service Act-1944
Poultry Products Inspection Act-1957
Egg Products Inspection Act-1970
Infant Formula Act-1980
Sanitary Food Transportation Act-1990
Food Quality Protection Act-1996
Bioterrorism Act-2002
Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act-2004
Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act-2007

The National Academy of Sciences identified multiple agencies administering numerous food-related statutes resulting in:
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An absence of focused leadership
Lack of a common mission
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Inadequate emphasis on surveillance
Lack of nationwide adherence to appropriate minimum standards

 Food and Drug Administration (HHS)
 Responsible for 80% of food supply (Fruit, vegetables, processed foods, seafood, etc.)
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Fewer than 2,000 inspectors
More than 136,000 domestic establishments
Random Inspections (frequency as little as once every 10 years)
 Food Safety Inspection Service (USDA)
 Responsible for 20% of food supply (Meat, Poultry Eggs)
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More than 7,300 inspectors
6,200 federally inspected establishments
Daily and Continuous Inspections

Yearly Trends in Outbreaks
400
350
300
250
200
FDA Outbreaks
USDA Oubreaks
150
100
50
0
19
90
19
91
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92
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93
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94
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95
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96
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97
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98
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99
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00
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01
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20
05

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Centers for Disease Control
 Foodborne Illness Surveillance
Environmental Protection Agency
 Pesticide Residue Levels
Animal Plant Health Inspection Service
 Controls Outbreaks of Animal and Plant Diseases
Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration
 Quality and Inspection Standards for Grains
Agricultural Marketing Service
 Egg Quality and Marketing Program
Agricultural Research Service
 Food Safety Research
National Agricultural Statistics Service
 Statistical Data on Agricultural Chemical Usage
Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service
 University-based Food Safety Research & Education
National Marine Fisheries Service
 NOAA Seafood Inspection Program
Department of Homeland Security
 Coordination of Food Security Activities

Four Agencies Performing Similar Roles
Inspection of Domestic Food Facilities
Inspection of Foreign Food Facilities
Inspection at Ports
Laboratory Analysis for Contamination
Research on Pathogen Reduction
Research on Foodborne Contaminants
Risk Assessments of Contaminants
Public Education and Outreach
Development of Guidance for Industry
International Harmonization
Surveillance/Monitoring
Rule Development & Promulgation
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USDA FDA
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EPA NMFS
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“ The federal regulatory system for food safety, like many others in the federal government, evolved piecemeal, typically in response to particular health threats or economic crises.
GAO, Federal Oversight of Food Safety, April 24, 2007

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With so many agencies involved in food safety, decisions and priorities often focus on specific issues rather than strategies . . ..
The system that has evolved in the federal government for regulating food safety is complex, fragmented, and cumbersome.”
National Research Council, Ensuring Safe Food From Production to Consumption, 1998

“The FDA does not have the capacity to ensure the safety of food for the nation:
“There is an appallingly low inspection rate: the
FDA cannot sufficiently monitor either the tremendous volume of products manufactured domestically or the exponential growth of imports.”
National Science Board, FDA Science and Mission at Risk, Nov. 2007

2007 “High Risk”
Designation by the GAO
“We have added food safety to our list of programs needing urgent attention and transformation to ensure our government functions in the most economical, efficient and effective manner possible.
. . An accidental or deliberate contamination of food or the introduction of a disease to livestock, poultry or crops could undermine consumer confidence in the safety of the U.S. food supply. . .”
GAO, High-Risk Designation Can Bring Needed Attention to Fragmented System, February
8, 2007

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The Food Marketing Institute annual survey found that overall confidence in the safety of food dropped from
82% in 2006 to 66% in 2007.
A survey of consumer confidence in FDA has also showed huge declines – to 36% in 2006.
dropping from 56% in 2004
In July, 83 percent of shoppers voiced concern about food from China, and 61 percent about food from Mexico.

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CSPI has written a blue print for FDA reform for
Congress:
Preventive Process Controls and Performance
Standards
Inspections and State/Federal Cooperation
Food Imports
Research and Education
On-Farm Food Safety
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Enforcement Authority http://www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/fswhitepaper.pdf

Enforcement
Food Safety Legislation
In the 110 th Congress
S. 654/H.R. 1148, Safe Food Act
H.R. 3624, Consumer Food Safety Act
H.R. 3610, Food & Drug Import Safety Act
S. 1776, Imported Food Security Act
S. 1274/H.R. 2108, Human & Pet Food Safety Act
S. 2077, Fresh Produce Safety Act
H.R. 3484, SAFER Meat, Poultry, & Food Act
H.R. 3485, TRACE Act
H.R. 2997, Assured Food Safety Act
S. 2081, Food & Product Responsibility Act
H.R. 3937, Food Import Safety Act
S. 1292, Meat & Poultry Products Traceability & Safety Act
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Caroline Smith DeWaal
Food Safety Director
Center for Science in the Public Interest
Washington, DC phone (202) 777-8366 e-mail cdewaal@cspinet.org
On the internet: www.cspinet.org
www.safefoodinternational.org
To search our Outbreak Alert database: http://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety/