Healthbeat by Deirdre Cox BakerHappy country living
Tuesday, October 20th, 2009 12:15 pmI’ve been a lucky girl. I was able to move to rural Scott County in 1993 and love living in a rural neighborhood.
Less pleasant is news about food safety concerns. Leafy greens, eggs and tuna top the list of the 10 riskiest foods now being regulated by the federal Food and Drug Administration. These three, as well as oysters, potatoes, cheese, ice cream, tomatoes, sprouts and berries, account for nearly 40 percent of all foodborne outbreaks linked to regulated food.
Most foodborne illness are not reported, but they can blow up into public health emergencies, such as what happened with the hepatitis A outbreak last summer in Rock Island County.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Food Safety Enhancement Act, which would increase the FDA’s authority and update the country’s food safety laws. It is to be sponsored in the Senate by Richard Durbin, the Democrat from Illinois. To read about the bill passed by the house, check this out. To contact Durbin with your thoughts on food safety legislation, try his Web site.