THE FOOD SAFETY INFORMATION HANDBOOK ❖ Cynthia A. Roberts Oryx Press 2001 This Page Intentionally Left Blank The rare Arabian Oryx is believed to have inspired the myth of the unicorn. This desert antelope became virtually extinct in the early 1960s. At that time, several groups of international conservationists arranged to have nine animals sent to the Phoenix Zoo to be the nucleus of a captive breeding herd. Today, the Oryx population is over 1,000, and over 500 have been returned to the Middle East. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Roberts, Cynthia A. The food safety information handbook / Cynthia A. Roberts. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1–57356–305–6 (alk. paper) 1. Food adulteration and inspection. 2. Food contamination. TX531.R57 2001 363.19′26—dc21 2001021435 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available. Copyright © 2001 by Cynthia A. Roberts All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, by any process or technique, without the express written consent of the publisher. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2001021435 ISBN: 1–57356–305–6 First published in 2001 Oryx Press, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881 An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. www.oryxpress.com Printed in the United States of America The paper used in this book complies with the Permanent Paper Standard issued by the National Information Standards Organization (Z39.48–1984). 10987654321 This Page Intentionally Left Blank For Andy, who had to do without This Page Intentionally Left Blank CONTENTS Preface xiii Acronyms xv Part 1. Overview of Food Safety 1. An Overview of Food Safety 3 Safe Food Defined 4 Food Hazards 5 Chemical Hazards 5 Food Additives 5 Food Allergens 6 Drugs, Hormones, and Antibiotics in Animals 7 Naturally Occurring Toxins 8 Pesticides 10 Microbiological Hazards 12 Bacteria 12 Viruses 18 Protozoa and Parasites 19 Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) 20 Physical Hazards 21 Factors That Contribute to Foodborne Illness 21 Demographics 21 Consumer Lifestyles and Demand 22 Food Production and Economics 24 New and Evolving Pathogens 24 History of Food Safety 25 The Role of Food Preservation in Food Safety 28 Sources 32 2. Issues in Food Safety 37 Genetically Engineered Foods 37 Regulation 38 Contents The Case against Food Biotechnology 39 Human Health Hazards 39 Environmental Hazards 40 Socioeconomic Hazards 42 The Case in Favor of Food Biotechnology 42 Human Health Benefits 43 Environmental Benefits 43 Socioeconomic Benefits 44 Sources 45 Bovine Somatotropin 45 Human Health Issues 47 Animal Health Issues 48 Socioeconomic Issues 48 Sources 49 Food Irradiation 49 Background 49 The Case in Favor of Irradiation 51 The Case against Irradiation 52 Sources 53 Pesticide Residues in Foods 53 Introduction 53 Pesticide Regulation 56 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 56 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 57 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 58 Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) 59 Are Pesticide Residues Dangerous? 59 Sources 61 Drinking Water Quality 63 History 63 The U.S. Water Supply 64 Hazards to the Water Supply 65 Regulation 66 Safe Drinking Water Act 68 Sources 69 Restaurant Food Safety 69 Regulating the Industry 70 Public Posting of Inspection Scores 71 Education 72 Sources 72 3. Chronology of Food Safety-Related Events 75 Sources 87 4. Food Safety Regulation 89 History of Food Safety Regulation 90 Early Food Safety Regulation in the United States 91 Twentieth Century Food Safety Regulation in the United States 92 The Food and Drugs Act 93 The Federal Meat Inspection Act 94 The Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) 94 The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) 96 Amendments to the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) 97 Additional Regulation of Poultry, Meat, and Eggs 97 The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) 98 viii Contents Saccharin Study and Labeling Act 98 The Infant Formula Act 99 The Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) 99 Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) 100 Who Regulates Food Safety Today? 101 Food Safety at the Federal Level 102 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 102 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 103 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 104 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 105 National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) 105 Federal Trade Commission (FTC) 106 U.S. Customs Service 106 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) 106 National Institutes of Health (NIH) 106 Food Safety at the State and Local Levels 106 Food Safety at the International Level 107 What Is the Federal Government Doing about Food Safety Now? 108 President’s Food Safety Initiative 108 Healthy People 2010 110 Dietary Guidelines for Americans 111 Sources 112 5. Food Safety Statistics 115 Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) 116 CDC Surveillance for Foodborne-Disease Outbreaks, 1993–1997 121 Waterborne Disease Outbreaks, 1997–1998 122 Medical Costs of Foodborne Illness 125 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Systems (BRFSS) 126 Home Food Safety Survey 127 Sources 128 6. Careers in Food Safety 131 Education 133 Credentials 133 Certified Food Safety Professional (CFSP) 133 Registered Environmental Health Specialist/Registered Sanitarian(REHS/RS) 134 Certified Food Protection Professional (CFPP) 136 National Certified Professional Food Manager (NCPFM) 136 Food Safety Manager Certificate (FSMC) 137 National Restaurant Association ServSafe 137 Continuing Education Courses in Food Safety 138 Distance Learning Courses 138 Scholarships, Internships, and Fellowships 140 Part 2. Resources 7. Reports and Brochures 143 Reports 144 Brochures 159 8. Books and Newsletters 163 Books 164 ix Contents Reference Books 164 General Food Safety Books 165 Children’s General Food Safety Books 167 Books on Specific Food Safety Topics 168 Additives 168 Animal Health 169 Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) 169 Food Allergy 170 Food Allergy Books for Children 171 Food Biotechnology 171 Food Irradiation 173 Food Preservation 173 Food Safety Regulations 174 Naturally Occurring, Environmental, and Chemical Toxins 175 Pesticides 176 Water 176 Texts 176 Newsletters 178 Food Biotechnology 178 Food Safety Regulations 179 General Food Safety for Consumers 179 General Food Safety for Educators and Food Professionals 180 Pesticides 184 9. Internet Web Sites and Electronic Media 185 Internet Web Sites 186 Food Allergy 186 Food Biotechnology 186 Food Preservation 188 Food Professionals’ Web Sites 188 General Food Safety 189 Microbiology 191 Miscellaneous 192 Pesticides 193 Risk Assessment 193 Water Quality 193 Databases 194 General Reference and Resource Databases 194 Bibliographic Databases 194 Databases with Data on Additives, Pesticide and Drug Residues, Toxins 195 Water Quality Databases 196 Miscellaneous Databases 197 Email Discussion Groups 198 Email News Distribution Groups 199 Reference Tools 200 10. Educational Materials 203 Children—General Food Safety 204 Children—Biotechnology, Pesticides, Additives 210 Consumers—General Food Safety 211 Consumers—Biotechnology, Pesticides, Additives 215 Consumers—Seniors 217 Food Service Workers—General Food Safety 218 Food Service Workers—HACCP 223 x Contents Handwashing 225 Providers at Child Day Care Centers and Institutions 227 School Food Service 229 Volunteers at Picnics, Church Suppers, Fairs, Food Banks 230 11. Organizations, Cooperative Extension, Hotlines, State and Local Agencies 233 Organizations 234 Cooperative Extension Offices 267 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Public Affairs Specialists 283 Northeast Region 283 Central Region 284 Southeast Region 285 Southwest Region 285 Pacific Region 286 Hotlines 287 Non-Food Company Hotlines 287 Food Company Hotlines 288 State Departments of Health and/or Agriculture 290 State Meat Inspection Programs 295 Glossary 299 Index 305 xi This Page Intentionally Left Blank PREFACE Food safety is both a solid issue and an enigmatic one. Ask anyone on the street for a definition, and they’ll probably answer that it means food that is safe to eat. But breaking this down into its components is a harder task. If one asks important ques- tions such as what is safe food, how safe is safe, how many people get sick from unsafe food, what are the major causes of unsafe food, how can food be made safe, and who’s responsibility is food safety, the seemingly solid nature of the discipline dis- solves. While this book cannot pretend to answer questions that even experts in the field are grappling with, it does try to give the reader some possible answers, a broad over- view of the subject, and the tools necessary to interpret the quality of the food they eat and the validity of the information to which they are exposed. The audience for the book includes those who eat food, whether they be parents, students, cooks, food industry workers, dietitians, health professionals, educators, or librarians. The first part of the book offers an introduction and overview to the field of food safety. Chapter 1 begins with food hazards, exposing the reader to information about viruses, pathogenic bacteria, naturally occurring toxins, pesticides, and other dangers. Although humankind has been working to protect the food supply for mil- lennia, pathogens and other forces have been similarly changing throughout the mil- lennia to thwart attempts to make the food supply safe. These factors are examined, followed by a short history of discoveries that have contributed to the current state of scientific knowledge about food safety. Finally, readers are introduced to some of the techniques that have been developed to make food safer, the result of which can be seen in the aisles of grocery stores. In Chapter 2 the reader is introduced to several hot topics and the issues on each side of the debate over food biotechnology, bovine somatotropin, food irradiation, pesticides, drinking water quality, and restaurant food safety. Chapter 3 provides a chronology of events covered under the umbrella of food safety—inventions, dis- coveries, foodborne illness outbreaks, legislation, and other events that have shaped our understanding of the safety of food. Chapter 4 traces the evolution of the laws Preface and policies that guide food production in the United States.