Is the food supply safe?
And any time a problem arises, they also ask me: What are you doing to make it safe? It’s not that the public expects absolute assurances that food is perfectly safe. But they do expect that a system is in place to ensure that food is as safe as we can possibly make it–a system that is responsive to today’s realities, today’s risks, and today’s consumer expectations. What are the elements of such a system? Certainly, it is no longer enough to think of each processing plant in isolation, or each step in the production of food as a self-contained entity. We must think of our food safety system more comprehensively. We must take the broad view: from farm or fishery to the dinner table; from the foreign processing plant to your local retail establishment. This calls for a shift in thinking. Today we have a food safety system that is piecemeal. We examine some modest number of the food entries coming into this country, but only after they have arrived at our shores. And we have no authorit
We believe that background levels of dioxin in food do not compromise the safety of the food supply. For additional information about dioxin in the food supply, please see the web site prepared by the Interagency Working Group on Dioxin (IWG) or refer to the European Union Food Monitoring page on this site.
The U.S. food supply is among the safest and most nutritious in the world. While the federal food and environmental agencies are concerned about dioxin, the draft report does not change the government’s view of the overall safety of the food supply in this country. Maintaining the safety of the food supply is a top priority of the federal government. Return to Top • F3. Should I stop eating particular foods? No, we do not recommend avoiding particular foods because of dioxins. The EPA’s 2003 draft dioxin reassessment indicates that following the science-based advice in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans will also likely help individuals lower their risk of exposure to dioxins. These guidelines include the recommendations to choose meat and dairy products that are lean, low fat, or fat free and to increase consumption of fruits, vegetable, and whole grain products. Meat, milk, and fish are important sources of nutrients for the American public and an appropriate part of a balanced die
Commercially packaged foods are generally safe. They are processed in well-controlled conditions under the supervision of the company and government agencies in many instances. Packaging is designed to be tamper-resistant. Prepackaged foods you purchase from your grocery should also be considered safe.
While the discovery of BSE in the US has increased public concern about the safety of meat, the USDA has stated that the food supply is safe. Milk and dairy products are considered universally safe; the transmission of BSE or its disease-causing prions through these products has never been demonstrated.
Related Questions
- Who would support or certify the safe use of a given steam supply in applications where the steam comes in contact with food?
- How do I know Michigans food supply is safe and protected from chemical or biological terrorism?
- How do I know Wisconsins food supply is safe and protected from chemical or biological terrorism?
