McDonald’s and Boar’s Head outbreaks may worry you. Experts say food supply is safe

From deli meats and waffles at Boar’s Head to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders, some of this year’s deadly disease outbreaks and food recalls may have Americans wondering whether there are new risks to the U.S. food supply.

But experts say it’s all normal when it comes to the complex task of keeping food safe.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, the United States ranks near the top for food safety among 113 countries in the Global Food Security Index, which measures food availability and quality.

“The U.S. food supply remains some of the safest in the world,” FDA officials said in a statement.

Teresa Murray, who runs the consumer watchdog office at consumer interest group PIRG, said people might be alarmed by “the number of really high-profile recalls that are affecting a lot of people.”

“These are products that people consume on a regular basis,” he said.

On average, the two federal agencies that oversee the U.S. food supply (the FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture) issue more than 300 food recalls and warnings each year. The FDA regulates approximately 80% of foods, including dairy products, fruits, and vegetables, while the USDA regulates meat and poultry, among other foods.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracks about 800 foodborne illness outbreaks each year in which two or more people get sick from the same food or drink. Most of the estimated 48 million cases of food poisoning each year are not related to confirmed outbreaks, the agency said.

The pace of food recalls and warnings appears to be brisk this year, with more than 300 on record as of mid-October. But recalls are different from disease outbreaks, which are increasingly being detected by sophisticated genetic sequencing, said Donald Schaffner, a food science expert at Rutgers University.

“I don’t think the food supply has become less safe,” Schaffner said. “I think we’re stuck in place. We’re not getting better.”

Federal data shows the United States has made little progress in reducing rates of foodborne illness as called for by Healthy People 2030, an effort to improve health and well-being at the population level.

The country has made little progress since 2016-2018 in reducing infections caused by salmonella and Listeria, the microbes behind the deadly Boar’s Head outbreak that left at least 10 people dead and nearly 50 hospitalized.

There has been little or no progress in reducing infections caused by campylobacter, or the toxin-producing E. strain linked to this week’s McDonald’s outbreak.

“People should be reminded that food safety is a serious public health issue. All food poses risks,” said Barbara Kowalcyk, director of the Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition Security at George Washington University. “We must remember that most of our food comes from the ground or from animals.”

The groundbreaking Food Safety Modernization Act, enacted in 2011, gave the FDA new authority to regulate the way food is grown, harvested, and processed. According to the rule, which is finalized in 2022 and will come into force in 2026, suppliers will be required to keep records to trace fresh products, such as the onions in the McDonald’s outbreak, back to their source.

Such efforts alone cannot guarantee safety, Kowalcyk said. Testing, inspections, education and training can reduce the chances of food becoming contaminated and potentially causing illness.

“No mitigation or risk strategy is perfect in food safety,” he said. “You put obstacles in the way of the system, and through the combination of obstacles you catch the problem.”

Kowalcyk noted that limited funding for public health agencies could erode these efforts.

FDA chief Dr. Funding for the agency’s food safety missions has remained steady for years, Robert Califf said in a recent call with food safety advocates and reporters.

“If you look at the human food system, in a really complex environment, it’s kept pace with the cost of living for three decades, but there’s been no increase,” Califf said.

People can reduce the risk of foodborne illness by following safe handling practices, including preventing cross-contamination of food, proper storage, and frequent hand washing and disinfecting surfaces and kitchen utensils in the home. On top of that, they can put pressure on stores, restaurants and government officials to ensure food safety.

“You can reach out to your congressional representative and tell them that food safety is important to you,” Kowalcyk said. “You can also contact food companies. If you see something, tell me.”

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Education Media Group. AP is solely responsible for all content.

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