By Staff
When shoppers fill their grocery carts, most assume that the products chosen are safe for their family to consume. Afterall, most of these products are approved by the FDA right? So why are we finding it harder and harder to trust the foods we eat?
With so many recalls lately, one can't help but wonder what is safe and what isn't anymore. From Ecoli in lettuce, to Salmonella in peanut butter and now we have to worry about our pets getting kidney failure from their food.
And these are only three of the many recalls that have been making headlines lately.
The federal government is taking every step necessary to make sure outbreaks like these happen less often.
The first step is paying closer attention to the food processing plants. Since not all plants are the same, government safety inspectors will look more closely at some than others, particularly ones where outbreaks have happened.
The new system will begin in April with 30 locations representing about 254 establishments and potentially expanding to approximately 150 locations by the end of 2007.
The level of inspection at a processing plant will be based on a number of objective factors, such as the number of times a particular location had been cited for non-compliance. The new system will be more effective in terms of preventing human illness and will yield greater confidence that meat, poultry and egg products are safe.
In the meantime, most of us our still shaking our heads. What can we do to make sure we are eating safe food.
A few steps you can take to make sure you and your family are safe are cooking all meats properly. Wash all fruits and vegetables as soon as you return from the store.
Food-related recalls are almost impossible to predict, so be sure to always check the FDA website for any recent recalls or check your local newspapers and news stations.
The federal government is doing everything possible to make sure outbreaks like these are stopped.