Five Americans have died, and 210 have been sickened, as a result of a dangerous E.coli outbreak in romaine lettuce, but the Food and Drug Administration still doesn’t know exactly how the bug contaminated our food. The Centers for Disease Control says the tainted lettuce originated in the Yuma region, which includes a big swath of Arizona and southern California, and FDA recently found the deadly bug in canal water there. But three months after the first cases were reported we still don’t know how the bug got into the lettuce, which means this could potentially happen again.
A key thing slowing down the investigation is our antiquated system for tracing contaminated food to its source. The Food Safety Modernization Act, passed in 2011, specifically required the FDA to establish a modern system to trace produce like romaine lettuce from farm to supermarket. But the agency hasn’t acted, so federal food monitors are still struggling with antiquated tracking systems, which can even be handwritten on paper. Until we implement a modern tracking system, we’re highly vulnerable to more outbreaks.
Modern electronic systems track everything from plane reservations to credit card purchases. Sign the petition now to call on the FDA to implement a modern tracking system for produce so dangerous outbreaks can be stopped and prevented.
Five Americans have died, and 210 have been sickened, as a result of a dangerous E.coli outbreak in romaine lettuce, but the Food and Drug Administration still doesn’t know exactly how the bug contaminated our food. The Centers for Disease Control says the tainted lettuce originated in the Yuma region, which includes a big swath of Arizona and southern California, and FDA recently found the deadly bug in canal water there. But three months after the first cases were reported we still don’t know how the bug got into the lettuce, which means this could potentially happen again.
A key thing slowing down the investigation is our antiquated system for tracing contaminated food to its source. The Food Safety Modernization Act, passed in 2011, specifically required the FDA to establish a modern system to trace produce like romaine lettuce from farm to supermarket. But the agency hasn’t acted, so federal food monitors are still struggling with antiquated tracking systems, which can even be handwritten on paper. Until we implement a modern tracking system, we’re highly vulnerable to more outbreaks.
Modern electronic systems track everything from plane reservations to credit card purchases. Sign the petition now to call on the FDA to implement a modern tracking system for produce so dangerous outbreaks can be stopped and prevented.