Reinforcing food safety!

“Salmonella infections were up last year compared to previous years, but the jump might be partly due to the wider use of quick diagnostic tests, according to the CDC. In the case of salmonella enteritidis — the most common salmonella serotype — the incidence rate hasn't dropped in more than 10 years.

The CDC estimates about 1.35 million people are sickened annually by salmonella in the U.S., and about 420 people die each year from the infection. Food is the source for about 1 million of those illnesses, 19,000 hospitalizations and 380 deaths, the CDC said.

The Consumer Federation of America has criticized the government for what it called a failure to adequately address high rates of salmonella infections. The group said enforcement should be increased, and the USDA should consider raw meat and poultry contaminated with the pathogen "adulterated.'

Unless they're required to, USDA and the Food and Drug Administration are unlikely to voluntarily share more food safety information with the public or require more transparency from the companies they regulate. Yet doing so might lessen congressional pressure and enhance trust in their activities. It could also help industry better coordinate responses to contamination problems and take more effective steps to lessen their frequency.”

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