Interactive
Mar 8, 2011
President Barack Obama signed the "FDA Food Safety Modernization Act" into law on January 4, 2011. The new law is the first major update to the food safety authorities of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in over 70 years. More info| Summary | Type |
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2010 Foodborne-Illness Outbreaks by Pathogen Linked to FDA-regulated FoodsFoodborne-illness outbreaks have been in the news all year. The recent recall of more than a half-billion eggs contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) – which has reportedly resulted in more than 1,600 infections nationwide in 2010, to date, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – is just the latest instance in which a common food has posed a serious public-health risk. More info |
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A Look Into Multistate Foodborne OutbreaksIn January 2011, President Obama signed the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) into law, signaling the first major update to our nation’s food safety framework since the Great Depression. Despite bipartisan support, and a coalition of food safety advocates and industry representatives working for its enactment, the administration still has not issued the proposed rules needed to begin implementing this law. This interactive graphic represents the most widespread multistate foodborne illness outbreaks linked to FDA-regulated products since FSMA was enacted, which constitute a small fraction of total foodborne illnesses reported during that period. More info |
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Children and Foodborne IllnessChildren are disproportionately affected by foodborne illness, a serious public health problem. Approximately half of the reported foodborne illnesses occur in children. Every year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that tens of millions of Americans fall ill, hundreds of thousands are hospitalized, and thousands die from foodborne illnesses. More info |
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Clostridium difficile: Rapidly Emerging Bacteria that Flourish in the Face of AntibioticsNearly 45,000 Americans died from CDI between 1999 and 2009. More info |
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Congress Passes Landmark Food Safety LawPHG Deputy Director Erik Olson hails bipartisan food safety legislation as a significant step in modernizing our food safety system and protecting Americans' health. More info |
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Families Call for Senate Passage of Food Safety LegislationAs the U.S. Senate considers a landmark food safety bill, the Make Our Food Safe Coalition joins families of victims of foodborne illness in calling for swift action to improve the safety of our nation's food supply. More info |
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Focus On: Food Import SafetyAmericans’ appetite for imported food has expanded dramatically over the past few decades. For each of the past seven years, food imports have grown by an average of 10 percent. Currently, between 10 and 15 percent of all food consumed by U.S. households is imported. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), nearly two-thirds of the fruits and vegetables and 80 percent of seafood consumed domestically come from outside the United States. In this issue brief, the Pew Health Group and Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) address the safety of imported seafood and raw produce, two of the largest categories of FDA-regulated food items produced and processed abroad and then sold in the United States. More info |
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Food Products Recalled By FDASince President Obama signed the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act into law, at least 149 FDA-regulated food products have been recalled due to potential pathogenic contamination. A recall is needed when a failure in the food safety program in a food facility results in contaminated food products being shipped to supermarkets and other retail and wholesale outlets. A recall is the last line of defense that protects consumers from getting sick. More info |
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Food Safety Expert Calls for Legislation to Protect ConsumersIn light of the latest salmonella outbreak, Pew Health Group Deputy Director Erik Olson urges Congressional action to improve the safety of our nation's food supply. More info |
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Food Safety Expert Testimony: Sandra EskinSandra Eskin is the project director of the food safety campaign at The Pew Charitablre Trusts. The campaign seeks to reduce health risks from foodborne pathogens by strengthening federal government authority and the enforcement of food safety laws. More info |
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Food Safety Victim Testimony: Dana DziadulDana Dziadul is a 15-year-old Florida resident who, when she was 3, ate cantaloupe tainted with Salmonella. She became very sick and was admitted to the hospital where she experienced blood poisoning from the infection. More info |
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Food Safety Victim Testimony: Elizabeth ArmstrongElizabeth Armstrong is an Indiana resident and the mother of two young daughters who got sick from eating E. coli-contaminated spinach about seven years ago. More info |
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Food Safety Victim Testimony: Gabrielle MeunierGabrielle Meunier is a resident of South Burlington, Vermont, whose 7-year-old son became ill from a salmonella infection in 2008. |
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This graphic represents multistate foodborne illness outbreaks identified by the CDC since the Food Safety Modernization Act was enacted linked to products regulated by the FDA.
The Pew Charitable Trusts' analysis of the outbreak found numerous inadequacies in the surveillance system that, if addressed, could help to prevent future illnesses.
Erik Olson
Senior Director, Food Portfolio
The Pew Charitable Trusts
Sandra Eskin
Director, Food Safety
The Pew Charitable Trusts
Copyright(c) 1996-2012 The Pew Charitable Trusts. All Rights Reserved.
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