Food Protection Trends - February 2011 - (Page 115)

WhAT’S hAPPENING IN FOOD SAFETY Senate Unanimously Passes Food Safety Bill he U.S. Senate unexpectedly approved food safety legislation by unanimous consent, rescuing a bill that floated in limbo for weeks because of a clerical error The Food Safety and Modernization Act was passed unanimously on December 19, 2010. A coalition of groups supporting the bill sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (DNev.) and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) calling for action on food safety. “Our organizations are writing to support attaching S. 510, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, to the Senate’s proposed short-term continuing resolution,” the groups wrote. “Strong food-safety legislation will reduce the risk of contamination and provide FDA with the resources and authorities the agency needs to help make prevention the focus of our food safety strategies.” The American Public Health Association, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union and other groups signed the letter. Senator Reid announced he would send the legislation — this time properly attached to a Houseoriginated measure — back to the lower chamber for final approval. “Our food safety system has not been updated in almost a century. Families in Nevada and across America should never have to worry about whether the food they put on their table is safe. This is a commonsense issue with broad bipartisan support,” Sen. Reid said in a statement. T “Tonight we unanimously passed a measure to improve on our current food safety system by giving the FDA the resources it needs to keep up with advances in food production and marketing, without unduly burdening farmers and food producers,” he said. The legislation is a high priority for Senator Reid and Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Tom Harkin. FDA Report Has Data on Antibiotics Sold, Not Used ontrary to proponents of banning antibiotics in foodanimal production, a government report issued recently does not show America’s livestock and poultry producers are using “massive” amounts of antibiotics. The US Food and Drug Administration report includes data on sales of all antibiotics intended for use in farm animals. For 2009, 28.7 million pounds of antimicrobial drugs were sold; nearly 29 per cent of that amount was ionophores, compounds not used in human medicine. Opponents of modern livestock production are pushing the theory that antibiotic use in food animals is leading to an increase in antibiotic resistance in humans and, therefore, antibiotic use in livestock production must be restricted. Several groups support legislation that would ban the use in livestock and poultry of antibiotics that prevent or control diseases and of ones that improve feed conversion and, thus, weight gain. “Pork producers use antibiotics responsibly, under the direction of a veterinarian, to protect public health and the health of their animals and to produce safe food,” said Howard Hill, DVM, who serves on the board of directors for the National C Pork Producers Council. “The FDA report does not show that livestock producers overuse antibiotics, and it doesn’t show that they are being irresponsible. It simply shows that 28.7 million pounds of antibiotics were sold in the United States.” Randal Singer, associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Minnesota, who for 12 years has studied antibiotic uses and antibiotic resistance, has said that “all uses of antibiotics improve animal health, and these improvements in animal health can substantially improve human health.” The FDA report, which was required under the 2008 Animal Drug User Fee Act, did not include data on the quantities of drugs used to treat sick animals, to prevent or control diseases and to improve feed efficiency and weight gain. “Despite the fact that the FDA report lacks the data,” Dr Hill said, “several groups continue to peddle junk science on the percentage of antibiotics used for ‘non-therapeutic’ reasons, which include prevention and control of diseases, and to make comparisons of antibiotics used in food animals with those used in humans.” CDC Reports One in Six Americans Get Sick from Foodborne Illnesses Each Year bout 48 million people (1 in 6 Americans) get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die each year from foodborne diseases, according to new estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The figures are the most accurate to date due to better data and methods used. The data is published in two articles in the journal Emerging Infectious A FEBRUARY 2011 | FOOD PROTECTION TRENDS 115

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Food Protection Trends - February 2011

Food Protection Trends - February 2011
Contents
Sustaining Members
Reflections of Your President
Commentary from the Executive Director
An Outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 Infection Linked to Unpasteurized Apple Cider in Oklahoma, 1999
Examining the Exam: Implications for Participants and Policy Makers of the Food Manager Certification Exam
General Interest Paper: Recipe Websites: A Novel Medium for Disseminating Food Safety and Origin Information
IAFP 2011–2012 Secretary Election
IAFP 2011 Award Nominations
New Members
What's Happening in Food Safety
Industry Products
Activities
General Information
Registration Form
Coming Events
Advertising Index
Journal of Food Protection Table of Contents
Booklet Order Form
Membership Application
Celebrating 100 Years of IAFP Journals: 1940s

Food Protection Trends - February 2011