 |
Current Food Safety News
Caroline Smith DeWaal on C-SPAN discusses food safety and responds to telephone calls. Caroline Smith DeWaal on PBS News Hour discussing the largest egg recall in history.
Testimony of Caroline Smith DeWaal before the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry on the need to repair our food-safety system.
Mission StatementFoodborne illness, commonly called "food poisoning," causes an estimated 48 million illnesses, 128,000 hospitalizations, and 3,000 deaths in the United States annually. These illnesses can range from troubling cases of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea to life-threatening illnesses that require hospitalization. Most of these illnesses are entirely preventable with care throughout the food chain. From the farmer to the chef; from the food processor to the guy at the grill, everyone has a role to play in making safe food. Food safety is a key area of focus for the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The mission of CSPI’s Food Safety Program is to reduce the burden of foodborne illnesses. We provide solid food safety advice to consumers on our website and in Nutrition Action Healthletter, and our staff of experts encourages policymakers, government regulators, and the food industry to work harder to protect American consumers from contaminated food. The Food Safety Program’s lawyers and public health researchers work with Congress and State legislatures to strengthen food safety laws and to provide funding for the federal agencies that protect our food supply and public health. We encourage the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to improve federal food safety programs and increase oversight of industry practices. We provide those agencies with our best thinking on food safety policy through petitions, comments, and participation in public hearings. We also communicate directly with industry leaders on ways they can ensure the safety of the food products they market. The Food Safety Program provides useful, up-to-date research to the public, policymakers, and regulators on current and emerging food safety issues. CSPI’s publication, Outbreak Alert! is an ongoing compilation of foodborne illnesses and outbreaks, organized by food categories. It is used by scientists and policymakers around the world. CSPI’s Food Safety Program has been in the forefront of advocating for a unified food safety system and for tougher laws governing meat, poultry, and seafood production. Our work doesn't stop at the border. In an increasingly global marketplace, the Food Safety Program represents consumers at many international food safety meetings, and we manage the work of the International Association of Consumer Food Organizations (IACFO), which represents consumers in every world region.  |
