We have to cut spending somewhere so the current administration chooses food safety!
Can any one tell me how many different types of produce there is in the world? How about how much of it is imported into North America daily. I’m not sure it matters, but it is a lot. And because we consume it, we would like to know it is safe to eat and not contaminated with E.Coli, listeria or other food born pathogens.
One of the tools that have been used for years is at risk of being eliminated that can screen these products. It is the Agricultural Departments Microbiological Data Program. According to and Article attributed to the Associated Press by Garance Burke, this program was due to be cut from the budget by the current administration but has been saved at least until December.
The good news is that this program scans high risk fruit and produce for bacteria that causes food born illnesses. I’m not sure it will make any difference, but during the same week the FDA finally backed into a decision on BPA while the USDA tried to cut a program that screens the produce we eat. Does the right hand even know what the left hand is doing?
Is anyone one paying attention to this lunacy. Is there an effective overriding food safety policy in the government? I don’t think so. Here’s my voters smile to that issue and two disconnected organizations.
