Wonderful and terrifying.
That’s how one audience member described today’s presentation about the safety of our food supply. An expert panel discussed the issue at this morning’s session on “Contaminants in our Food Supply: Persistent Gaps in Monitoring, Assessment and Control of Contamination” and offered solutions to the problem as well as tips to better protect the food we consume.
The picture the panel presented was generally grim. While our food supply is vulnerable to pesticide and chemical exposures, the government’s response is outdated and inadequate, they said. One in six Americans gets sick from food-borne illness and nearly 3,000 die each year as a result. While threats from imported produce are increasing, monitoring and enforcement of safety standards lag. And even if food is produced safely, transport and storing processes contribute toxins that leave the most vulnerable in our population at risk.
But there is hope and there are some solutions.
To keep reading about the food safety session, visit the APHA Annual Meeting Blog.
