The frontlines of food-borne illness

The recall of many food products containing peanut butter is an example of the increasing number of food-borne illnesses. And the Departments of Health and Agriculture are on the frontlines of safeguarding the food supply and identifying problems when these outbreaks occur.

Annually about 7,500 food processors, grocery stores and delis across the state are inspected to ensure the safety of food products.

“In spite of our very best efforts, about 78 million people (nationwide) per year get ill with a food-borne and diarrheal disease,” John Besser, head of the Department of Health’s clinical laboratory, told the House Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs Committee at a Feb. 2 informational hearing. He clarified, however, that the increase in reported outbreaks may also relate to better reporting and tracking methods.

He said their work centers on identifying the underlying problems that can lead to these illnesses. “Every case of a food-borne disease can be considered a failure somewhere in our system.”

Rep. Kent Eken (DFL-Twin Valley) and other members asked about the state departments’ interaction with their federal counterparts. For example, he said the recent peanut butter case was sourced to a Georgia processor. “While we may be doing a good job here, we can’t do anything about the problems there.”

Ben Miller, supervisor for dairy and food inspections with the Department of Agriculture, explained the challenge they face because ingredients can be international or domestic in origin. “When you look at the way ingredients are manufactured and distributed worldwide, and all the products they end up in — for instance, in the peanut butter outbreak over 800 distinct products had been recalled — one of the biggest challenges is simply understanding where those key ingredients come from and where all those products go.”