Report Finds Significant Problems With U.S. Food Safety System

The statistics are staggering: foodborne diseases sicken more than 40 million people in the U.S. each year, causing 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths, according to a new report from the Center for Biosecurity of UPMC. The cost? Medical expenses combined with lost productivity total $77 billion annually. To tackle this enormous problem, the U.S. needs effective surveillance of the food supply and rapid response to foodborne illness outbreak. It especially needs to quickly know the source of food contamination. Among a list of findings and recommendations, the Center urges Congress and the White House to fully fund both technology development and agencies whose job is to monitor the food supply. Perhaps most important: the Food Safety Modernization Act should be fully funded and implemented.