Keeping America's Food Safe: A Blueprint for Fixing the Food Safety System at the Department of Health and Human Services

Authors

Jeffrey Levi, George Washington University
Laura M. Segal, Trust for America's Health
Serena Vinter, Trust for America's Health
Michael R. Taylor, George Washington University

Document Type

Report

Publication Date

3-2009

Keywords

Food Safety; Health Administration/Organization

Abstract

"The U.S. food safety system is in crisis. The recent Salmonella contamination of peanut butter products and jalapeño and Serrano peppers, E. coli outbreaks in spinach and lettuce, and reports about cattle slaughter practices and the safety of farm-raised fish in China have all heightened anxieties about the vulnerability of the nation's food supply....

These reports describe how the current system is fractionalized and focuses on antiquated threats instead of taking a strategic approach to protecting the nation's food supply through state-of-the-art technologies, practices, and policies. Yet despite all these challenges, experts estimate that most foodborne illnesses could be prevented if the right measures were taken to improve the U.S. food safety system."

Comments

Funder: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

APA Citation

Levi, J., Segal, L. M., Vinter, S., & Taylor, M. R. (2009). Keeping America's food safe: A blueprint for fixing the food safety system at the Department of Health and Human Services. Washington, DC: Trust for America's Health.

Open Access

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