Food Safety in America

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Food Safety in America

• Debbie Lawhorn
• HED 491

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Food Safety

• Encompasses
• Food-borne pathogens (disease causing agents)
• Residue levels from pesticides and animal drugs,
  toxins, and additives
• Whether food was produced with the aid of
  biotechnology

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Who is responsible?

• Local, state, and federal government
• Environmental Protection Agency, United States
  Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug
  Administration (regulate and make laws on food
  safety)
• Departments of Public Health (state and local
  health departments perform inspections of food
  producers and distributors)
• Food producers and distributors
• Consumers

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Common Food-borne Pathogens

• E. coli 0157h7
• Source beef, intestines of healthy cattle,
  unpasteurized milk also transmitted by human
  contact (not washing hands)
• Norwalk-like virus (stomach flu)
• Source human reservoirs fecal/oral
• Salmonella
• Source beef, poultry, milk, eggs, infected food
  handlers (fecal/oral)
• Campylobacter (C. jejuni)
• Source poultry, namely chicken

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Occurrence of Outbreak

• Each year in United States
• 76,000,000 illnesses
• 325,000 hospitalizations
• 5,000 deaths

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Cost of Outbreaks

• Of the most common pathogens
• 7,000,000,000 per year

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What can you do?

• Wash your hands before and after preparing food
• Wash your hands before and after using the
  bathroom
• Become more knowledgeable of food-borne pathogens
• Read food labels and prepare food as instructed
• Store food safely
• Use caution when eating out

WASH HANDS