Food Politics

Well, at least foodborne illnesses aren’t getting worse says the CDC.  Surveillance data for ten states indicate little change in numbers of cases of most foodborne bacterial infections (Salmonella infections may be going up, but just by a little).   This is good or bad depending on whether you are an optimist or a pessimist.  Optimists, like the meat industry, say whoopee! The system is working.  Pessimists, like those at the CDC and FDA who are quoted in the New York Times, say  the lack of improvement means that we must do something to improve the food safety system.  I vote with the pessimists on this one.

• Food safety progress: some good news, some not
• CDC halves foodborne illness count. But why now?
• The politics of contaminated meat
• Since when did cantaloupe become a WMD*?
• Don’t like bothering with food safety rules? Sue the FDA!