Ensuring the safety of national food supplies is one of the most important mandates
of government. The Trump administration’s budget priorities and their recent actions
to delay or reverse implementation of key food policies constitute a threat to the
safety of the nation’s food system. In a complex, industrial, and globally connected
food system, in which the threat of intentional tampering of the food supply (i.e.,
bioterrorism) looms, the need to ensure a safe food supply for everyone has never
been greater. Although the U.S. is a leader in food safety,
1
outbreaks of foodborne illness are not uncommon (864 in 2014 resulting in 13,246
illnesses, 712 hospitalizations, and 21 deaths), and foodborne illnesses (not tied
to a known specific outbreak) annually sicken one in six Americans (resulting in 128,000
hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths).
2
The Food Safety Modernization Act,
3
passed in 2011, requires food companies to minimize contamination risks to ensure
a biologically safe food supply—namely, a food supply that doesn’t cause acute illness
as a result of microbial contamination. This is particularly important because of
the broad diversity of global sources for the U.S. food supply.
4
When outbreaks of foodborne illnesses occur, they rightly receive widespread attention,
further incentivizing the food industry to make investing in minimizing biological
food safety risks a priority.U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service. U.S. Food Imports. www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/us-food-imports/us-food-imports/. Published 2016. Accessed July 7, 2017.
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References
- 2014 World Ranking: Food Safety Performance.The Conference Board of Canada, Ottawa2014
- Surveillance for Foodborne Disease Outbreaks, United States, 2014, Annual Report.U.S. DHHS, CDC, Atlanta, GA2016
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U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service. U.S. Food Imports. www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/us-food-imports/us-food-imports/. Published 2016. Accessed July 7, 2017.
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U.S. DHHS, U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 8th ed. Washington DC; 2015.
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- The school food environment and obesity prevention: progress over the last decade.Curr Obes Rep. 2016; 5: 145-155https://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-016-0204-0
- Positive influence of the revised Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children food packages on access to healthy foods.J Acad Nutr Diet. 2012; 112: 850-858https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2012.02.019
U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service. Enhancing retailer standards in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). 7 CFR Parts 271 and 278 2016; www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2016-02-17/pdf/2016-03006.pdf. Accessed May 11, 2017.
- The impact of WIC food package changes on access to healthful food in 2 low-income urban neighborhoods.J Nutr Educ Behav. 2012; 44: 210-216https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2011.08.004
- Effects of subsidies and prohibitions on nutrition in a food benefit program: a randomized clinical trial.JAMA Intern Med. 2016; 176: 1610-1618https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.5633
- Effect of a targeted subsidy on intake of fruits and vegetables among low-income women in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.Am J Public Health. 2008; 98: 98-105https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2005.079418
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Fair Food Network. Double Up Food Bucks. 2014; http://doubleupfoodbucks.org/. Accessed October 16, 2014.
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: October 30, 2017
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© 2017 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
