Comments on: Pistachio recalls: what they mean http://www.foodpolitics.com/2009/04/pistachio-recalls-what-they-mean/ Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:20:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Food Safety – The US Policy Dimensions of HR 875 and HR 759 | Nutrition Wonderland http://www.foodpolitics.com/2009/04/pistachio-recalls-what-they-mean/comment-page-1/#comment-16206 Food Safety – The US Policy Dimensions of HR 875 and HR 759 | Nutrition Wonderland Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:00:45 +0000 http://www.foodpolitics.com/?p=1257#comment-16206 [...] food supply is now. Other best practices safety implementations like the HACCP system Marion Nestle passionately supports need to be incorporated into whatever final legislation is adopted. Who is in charge of [...] [...] food supply is now. Other best practices safety implementations like the HACCP system Marion Nestle passionately supports need to be incorporated into whatever final legislation is adopted. Who is in charge of [...]

]]> By: Ken http://www.foodpolitics.com/2009/04/pistachio-recalls-what-they-mean/comment-page-1/#comment-14526 Ken Fri, 03 Apr 2009 16:08:41 +0000 http://www.foodpolitics.com/?p=1257#comment-14526 A potential solution to Cathy's concern: devote more resources to public health education and practice. Our country is not lacking in terms of an available workforce (how many recent layoffs?...). I know finding adequate funding is a perpetual struggle in public health, so I'm sorry if I'm repeating a tired cliche. But in an ideal world, with sufficient numbers of food inspectors & microbiologists (which do not necessarily equate to processed food), we could follow HACCP wherever and whenever we wanted - small farms, schools, day cares. I'm no expert, but I would venture a guess to say that HACCP is poorly enforced on the USDA side of things due to an insufficient number of inspectors and inadequate funds. Is this true? A potential solution to Cathy’s concern: devote more resources to public health education and practice. Our country is not lacking in terms of an available workforce (how many recent layoffs?…). I know finding adequate funding is a perpetual struggle in public health, so I’m sorry if I’m repeating a tired cliche. But in an ideal world, with sufficient numbers of food inspectors & microbiologists (which do not necessarily equate to processed food), we could follow HACCP wherever and whenever we wanted – small farms, schools, day cares.

I’m no expert, but I would venture a guess to say that HACCP is poorly enforced on the USDA side of things due to an insufficient number of inspectors and inadequate funds. Is this true?

]]> By: Cathy Richards http://www.foodpolitics.com/2009/04/pistachio-recalls-what-they-mean/comment-page-1/#comment-14468 Cathy Richards Thu, 02 Apr 2009 22:25:30 +0000 http://www.foodpolitics.com/?p=1257#comment-14468 HACCP is a great idea, except...our health inspectors now want our local farmers' markets to follow HACCP practises. Is this realistic? Necessary? What about daycares that don't serve lunches so don't need a food establishment permit, but health inspectors want them to follow HACCP just to be able to cut up veggies to serve as snacks? This is a real barrier, and leads to our daycares serving packaged snacks -- processed salty sugary fatty things are not safer than cut up veggies in the long run, but HACCP thinks they are. Food Safety is great, but can't a focus on food safety lead to a processed food supply? Isn't it the food sytems that need fixing, not HACCP that needs promoting? Would love your thoughts, Marion! It's very complex and I struggle with the safe/nutritious teeter-totter. HACCP is a great idea, except…our health inspectors now want our local farmers’ markets to follow HACCP practises. Is this realistic? Necessary? What about daycares that don’t serve lunches so don’t need a food establishment permit, but health inspectors want them to follow HACCP just to be able to cut up veggies to serve as snacks? This is a real barrier, and leads to our daycares serving packaged snacks — processed salty sugary fatty things are not safer than cut up veggies in the long run, but HACCP thinks they are. Food Safety is great, but can’t a focus on food safety lead to a processed food supply? Isn’t it the food sytems that need fixing, not HACCP that needs promoting? Would love your thoughts, Marion! It’s very complex and I struggle with the safe/nutritious teeter-totter.

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