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Foods4BetterHealth.com, a new food and nutrition web site that believes that eating right can prevent diseases, ward off illnesses, and help its readers feel healthier and younger than ever, is reporting on the recent U.S. government shutdown and how it is affecting food safety.As Foods4BetterHealth notes (http://www.foods4betterhealth.com/how-the-u-s-shutdown-is-affecting-the-safety-of-our-food-5070), the partial U.S. government shutdown has left 800,000 federal employees cut off from their jobs and many “non-essential” government services closed down.
“While the shutdown will likely have serious long-term economic repercussions—not to mention political ones—it is also going to impact the health of Americans, especially the health of their food,” says Vicky Tobianah, health editor for Foods4BetterHealth.
As the Foods4BetterHealth article “How the U.S. Shutdown is Affecting the Safety of Our Food” outlines, as a result of the shutdown, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is responsible for inspecting food supplies, will not conduct examinations during the shutdown, which Tobianah notes could mean that the large volumes of food shipped into the U.S. every day will go unchecked, putting the American population in danger. (Source: Parti, T. and Evich, H.B., “Government shutdown stresses food inspections,” Politico web site, October 2, 2013; http://www.politico.com/story/2013/10/government-shutdown-food-inspectors-agriculture-97691.html, last accessed October 3, 2013.)
“The shutdown also means that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also have their doors closed, and will not be monitoring, tracking, or identifying sources of foodborne illnesses, which already affects the lives of one in six Americans when the CDC is working at full capacity,” adds Tobianah.
Foods4BetterHealth also reports that the CDC will be running at 32% capacity during the shutdown. This reduction in personnel monitoring their disease surveillance system means that there will be a significant delay in when consumers are informed about foodborne illness outbreaks, contaminations, and recalls. (Source: Ellis, M., “Government shutdown delays NIH trails and impairs CDC,” Medical News Today web site, October 2, 2013; http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/266913.php?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=government-shutdown-delays-nih-trials-and-impairs-cdc.)
“While there are normally over eight employees monitoring outbreaks, the CDC now has just one employee monitoring the spread of diseases like Salmonella, E.coli, and Listeria,” states Tobianah.
The Foods4BetterHealth article concludes by noting that while the government shutdown continues, consumers will now have to be more aware of food safety. According to Tobianah, there are several precautions consumers can take: “…double-check that all meat and poultry has a proper food label approval and wash all fruits and vegetables carefully before eating them,” she explains. “Also, ask your local supermarket about recalled products—if the government isn’t going to be posting notices about recalls, supermarkets may be in direct contact with manufacturers if anything goes wrong.”
Foods4BetterHealth.com, created by Doctors Health Press, is a food news and health web site, offering readers information about the latest food controversies, exclusive expert advice, and health tips to ward off illness, prevent disease, and live a long, healthy life.
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Organization: Doctors Health Press, Inc
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Website: http://www.foods4betterhealth.com/
Release ID: 23779