Commercial settings are responsible for a great many foodborne illnesses. What industry controls are in place to help prevent them? How are consumers made aware of potential problems?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

All food producers use a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan to help prevent foodborne illnesses at their source. Each slaughterhouse, packer, distributor, and transporter of susceptible foods must identify “critical control points” that pose a risk of contamination and then devise and implement verifiable ways to eliminate or minimize the risk. The HACCP system has proved a remarkable success for domestic products, but such programs do not apply to imported foods.
An estimated 15 to 20 percent of all food consumed in the United States is imported from 300,000 facilities located in more than 150 countries each year. As the number of imports has increased over the years, so has the number of foodborne illnesses associated with imported foods, most commonly fish and produce. Many countries cooperate with the FDA and have adopted many of the safe food-handling practices used in the United States, but some imported foods come from countries with little or no regulatory oversight. To help consumers distinguish between imported and domestic foods, certain foods—including fish, shellfish, meats, fruits, vegetables, and some nuts—must display the country of origin on the label, specifying where they were produced.
Canned and packaged foods sold in grocery stores are easily controlled, but rare accidents do happen. Batch numbering makes it possible to recall contaminated foods through public announcements via the Internet, newspapers, television, and radio. In the grocery store, consumers can buy items before the expiration date and inspect the safety seals and wrappers of packages. A broken seal, bulging can lid, or mangled package fails to protect the consumer against microbes, insects, spoilage, or even vandalism.