DeLauro Statement on the Release of the Preliminary FoodNet Data by the CDC

Statement

DeLauro Statement on the Release of the Preliminary FoodNet Data by the CDC

Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (Conn.-3) issued the following statement regarding the release of the Center for Disease Control's (CDC) "2006 Preliminary FoodNet Data on the Incidence of Infection with Pathogens Transmitted commonly Through Food - 10 States."

Each year the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) collects information from 10 states regarding diseases caused by enteric pathogens transmitted commonly through food. FoodNet quantifies and monitors the incidence of these infections by conducting active, population-based surveillance for laboratory-confirmed illnesses. This report describes preliminary surveillance data for 2006 and compares them with baseline data from the period 1996-1998.

"New food safety data from the CDC should stop the Bush Administration from claiming progress in reducing food-borne illnesses. The data clearly reveals that past progress on food safety has abated and illness associated with some pathogens is increasing. The FoodNet data released by CDC shows that illnesses associated with E. coli and Salmonella have returned to the rates from 10 years ago. Additionally, the CDC data indicate that the rates of E. coli, Salmonella and Listeria illnesses in 2006 increased from 2005. The numbers are going the wrong way and significant work remains to protect our food supply.

"I am distressed to see that CDC continues to compare current data on food-borne illnesses with data from 1996 through 1998 - a period of time when there was few government efforts to control these outbreaks. However, the CDC data show there has been virtually no progress on Campylobacter since 2001, and the Listeria rate remains at the same level of three per million - the same as in 2000. Yet again, the U.S. failed to meet the National Health Objective of reducing the rates of Listeria to 2.5 by 2005. In fact, the major food safety agencies refuse to acknowledge the 2005 goal and instead have resorted to listing the National Health Objective date incorrectly as 2010 - a slight of hand to give the appearance that progress is being made.

"Given this new CDC data, it is especially unsettling that USDA is proposing to move forward with what it refers to as risk-based inspections of meat and poultry processing plants. Unfortunately, the proposed new system will reduce inspection in one-third of all meat and poultry processing plants, despite the fact that the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) does not have adequate data to ensure that this will not result in increased illness. The agency still intends to implement this system even after acknowledging before the House Agriculture Appropriations subcommittee two weeks ago that over 200 processing plants are not inspected daily as required by law."

"The job of USDA and FDA is to minimize the risk of food-borne illnesses and they are clearly not meeting that goal. These CDC numbers prove that we have much work to do to restore consumer confidence in our food supply."

Source