The CDC recently updated its list of communicable diseases that are often spread through infected foodhandlers*. Noroviruses, Hepatitis A, Salmonella, Shigella, Staphylococcus, and Streptococcus top the list.  The failure of food handlers to properly wash their hands after using the toilet is among the major contributors to these types of infection.

According to other data released by the CDC, Noroviruses account for up to 23 million cases of acute gastroenteritis. That’s about half of all the reported foodborne illnesses resulting in gastric distress.  Many cases of the “Stomach Flu” are not flu viruses at all, they are mild presentations of the Norovirae.  Although the CDC doesn’t specifically track the Norovirus as they do other food-borne illnesses; if their estimates are correct, this would result in an infection rate of around 7,800 per 100,000 people.

With the cold and flu season upon us, we are constantly being reminded to wash our hands frequently.  The high rate of contamination from Norovirus provides us just one more reason to follow this timely advice.

* [FR Doc. E8-27165]- Diseases Transmitted Through the Food Supply http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/E8-27165.htm

I am sure you know that proper diet and nutrition play an important role in the control of diabetes. A good diet can slow the progression of the disease and it can reduce the insulin dependence of some diabetics.  However, did you know that diabetics are also an at-risk population that must be considered in the realm of food safety?

Food safety is important for everyone’s good health but some populations are at a higher risk than others.  The elderly, children, diabetics, cancer patients, and others can fall within this group.  For more information about at-risk populations visit the USDA At-Risk Populations Fact Sheet by clicking here.

The idea of appointing a food czar to oversee the nation’s food supply is not a new one, although it has been getting more attention in recent months.  In part because the two primary agencies charged with protecting the food supply have been struggling of late.

The FDA’s response to this past summer’s outbreak connected to tomatoes and/or peppers was, at best, mishandled.  The traceback investigation was slow, and the advice too vague to help anyone identify the true nature and location of the problem.  I was not a big fan of them identifying which growing areas of the country were NOT involved. I wanted to know where the problem was originating and how big the risk was.

The USDA has its own headaches to deal with; Millions of pounds of ground beef recalled due to E. coli contamination, problems with downer cows, illegal immigrants staffing meat plants, and BSE (mad cow disease). A study conducted by the Food Marketing Institute in May 2008 puts consumer confidence in the USDA and FDA at just 79% and 76% respectively.

I believe that these two pillars of federal government, both being able to trace their origins back to 1862 or thereabout, have lost much of their focus over the years. They have become too bureaucratic and resistant to change. Their responses to recent food crises have been sluggish and guarded. The decisions seem, at times, to be influenced more by political, environmental, or business concerns rather than by public safety.

Part of the problem lies in the overlapping responsibility and limited authority of both agencies. When it comes to investigating the source of food-borne illness outbreaks, we need to remove geographical restrictions and develop a repository for information that will be shared at the local, state, and federal levels.

If we add a cabinet level position, with a person who can effectively remove these barriers to sound, science-based, food-borne illness investigations and tracebacks, then a food czar may be just what we need.  But if the position becomes just another layer of ineffective government bureaucracy, then we’d be better off to redefine the objectives and powers of the existing system.