A New York Times article revealing disturbing practices at beef processors reminds us never to let down our guard when handling ground beef, lest a virulent strain of Escherichia coli, O157:H7, lead to crippling illness or death. Food scientists warn that even "a few stray cells" of this E.coli strain can cause illness. Forget about cleaning the cutting board with soap or scrubbing. You'll need bleach to remove the threat. Better yet, think of your kitchen as a biosafety lab.
The likelihood of being exposed to a food toxin is heightened by a food safety system with holes that beef processors regularly exploit. For example, meat processors are not required to check for bacteria in meat received from multiple domestic and international suppliers, and "many big slaughterhouses will sell only to grinders who agree not to test their shipments for E. coli, according to officials at two large grinding companies [NY Times]." Other problems, like filthy equipment and handling, have been around since Upton Sinclair's 1906 expose, "The Jungle.'
The Times article exposes numerous weaknesses in food safety laws and practices, but patching all of the holes would still leave us with an unsatisfactory food safety system. That's because there is no real system. Food safety currently relies on a complicated patchwork quilt of food safety authorities divided among multiple agencies, each with a unique culture and mix of authorities and resources. In this era of big corporations and global commerce troubled by greed, chicanery and economic pressures, our thinking about food safety also must be big and global. Throwing a little more plaster on the walls of the existing structure won't do; a full renovation is required.
How best can we protect public health while keeping an industry economically viable? Please respond in the comments with any suggestions you may have - from the standpoint of consumer, producer or processor - for structuring a food safety system.
Cross-posted from Daily Kos.
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