The US food industry has been scarred by a spate of recent foodborne illness outbreaks, paving the way for a clutch of new proposals to overhaul the nation’s food safety system, including the Food Safety Enhancement Act, currently awaiting consideration by the Senate.
The poll, which was conducted by Hart Research and Public Opinion Strategies, showed strong support for better government-regulated food protection, regardless of respondents’ gender, income or political affiliation, the researchers said.
Nearly half of respondents (49 percent) said that what they had seen and heard in the past year had reduced their confidence in US food supply, and more than four in five (81 percent) said they thought the federal government should be responsible for making sure food is safe to eat. In contrast, 53 percent said they thought the government was doing too little to protect the public from contamination of imported foods.
Managing director of the Pew Health Group Shelley Hearne said: “The take-away message from this is that the public gets it: our antiquated food safety laws greatly need updating so that Americans can have more confidence in the food supply."
The Food Safety Enhancement Act passed through the House in July, which includes measures to strengthen the authority of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in inspecting facilities and mandating product recalls.
Opposition
Despite receiving broad support from industry, a group of organizations penned a letter voicing their opposition to the bill before it was passed by the House in June.
"As drafted, this legislation would give the Food and Drug Administration broad new powers to regulate the entire spectrum of the agricultural and food system – from production agriculture to the final retail establishment,” they wrote, “In many cases without appropriate thresholds or accountability.”
Hearne said: "Most foodborne illnesses that result in hospitalizations and death are preventable. Despite that, one American every two hours, every day of the year perishes as a result of pathogens in the food they eat. The Food and Drug Administration, which is responsible for the safety of over 80 percent of the foods we eat, does not have the tools or resources it needs to sufficiently protect the public from dangers in the food supply."
It is estimated that one in four Americans becomes sick as a result of foodborne illness each year. About 325,000 are hospitalized and 5,000 die, according to figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.