Food Safety
Approximately 76 million Americans – one in four – are sickened by foodborne diseases each year. Of these, an estimated 325,000 are hospitalized and 5,000 die. Medical costs and lost productivity due to foodborne illness in the U.S. are estimated to cost $44 billion annually. Experts estimate that most foodborne illnesses could be prevented if the right measures were taken to improve the U.S. food safety system.
Right now, however, major gaps exist in the nation's food safety system, including obsolete laws, misallocation of resources, and inconsistencies among major food safety agencies.
In our report, Fixing Food Safety: Protecting America's Food Supply from Farm-to-Fork, we outline a plan to reallocate resources and restructure bureaucracy to significantly reduce the number of foodborne illness outbreaks in the U.S. each year, and keep America's food supply more secure.
TFAH Reports
October 2008
Blueprint for a Healthier America
Modernizing the Federal Public Health System to Focus on Prevention and Preparedness
April 2008
Fixing Food Safety
Protecting America's Food Supply from Farm-to-Fork
March 2008
Ten Top Priorities for Prevention
August 2003
Animal-Borne Epidemics Out of Control
Threatening the Nation's Health
Latest News
December 29, 2009
Food policy reformers seek improved produce tracking
December 2, 2008
FDA Touts Efforts to Enhance Food Safety
September 26, 2008
FDA Faulted for Lack of Produce Oversight
September 26, 2008
FDA Faulted for Lack of Produce Oversight
July 2, 2008
FDA's Ineffective Tomato Probe Is Economic Hurricane for State
Policy Information
September 2008
Congressional Testimony of Jeffrey Levi, Ph.D., Executive Director, Trust for America's Health Regarding Food Safety
Press Releases
December 12, 2008
Trust for America's Health Applauds New IOM Report on Improving the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the 21st Century
October 21, 2008
Trust for America's Health Releases Blueprint for Modernizing Public Health for the Presidential Transition and Next Congress
October 16, 2008
Advisory: Trust for America's Health Releases Transition Document: Blueprint for a Healthier America
Includes Detailed Plan to Modernize America's Public Health System
September 17, 2008
Testifying before Congress, Trust for America's Health Urges FDA Spending Cap until Realistic Budget Request is Made
Group Warned of Risk to the Public in Recent Report
July 2, 2008
Trust for America's Health: New E. Coli Outbreak, Confusion around Salmonella Show Food Safety System Remains Broken
TFAH Released Report in April, Recommending Systematic Changes
Resources
Selected items from TFAH's Resource Library:
Environmental Protection Agency--Pesticides and Food
The information in this area provides an overview of EPA's pesticide human health risk assessment processes, and information to educate consumers about food and pesticides.
EPA--Fish Advisories
Includes information on the risks of eating contaminated fish. While most of the nation's waters contain fish that are safe to eat, the EPA monitors our waters and issues fish advisories when contaminant levels are unsafe. A consumption advisory may recommend that people limit or avoid eating certain species of fish caught in certain lakes, rivers or coastal waters.
FDA--Food Safety Advisory on Mercury
A consumer advisory about the risks of mercury in fish, specifically pregnant women.
FDA--Mad Cow Disease
Webstite includes general information about Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, also known as Mad Cow Disease.
National Association of County and City Health Officials
NACCHO supports efforts that protect and improve the health of all people and all communities by promoting national policy, developing resources and programs, seeking health equity, and supporting effective local public health practice and systems.
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