It seems to be happening with more and more frequency, food contamination and the ensuing scramble of food recalls. Think back to 1993 to the Jack in the Box E. coli scare when bacteria-contaminated hamburger meat killed four children, or the more recent recall involving salmonella- tainted eggs in the summer of 2010. It’s amazing how quickly the dangers of food contamination can be disseminated to the public. The alert is sent out by the FDA or USDA and is picked up by news services around the country and world. But perhaps more truly amazing is how (and why) these contaminations keep happening. There are several regulatory agencies in charge of ensuring that safe food reaches our tables, yet people keep getting sick and dying. 

The answer to this puzzle involves food companies, agencies and individuals. Government agencies claim that it is the responsibility of food manufacturers to produce safe food; the food manufacturers claim that it is the responsibility of the individual to prepare food safely (e.g. cook meat to an internal temperature of 165°F); and the individuals’ claim that it is the government agencies responsibility to ensure that the food manufacturers produce safe food. Much of this comes down to money, the regulatory agencies charged with ensuring safe food don’t have enough of it, and the food manufacturers don’t spend enough of it. Until the practice of food safety is streamlined, the responsibility is on the consumer; be sure to heed food recalls, don’t purchase questionable food products and practice safe food handling.