Imagine grabbing a quick sandwich, only to end up in the hospital. Or slicing into an apple and unknowingly exposing your family to dangerous bacteria. These aren't hypothetical scenarios; they're the reality for a startling number of people.
Last year, food recalls due to Salmonella, Listeria and E. coli were more widespread and deadlier than in years past, according to a new CNN report: “Contaminated food is causing a growing number of illnesses in the United States, and severe cases that lead to hospitalization or death are becoming more common.” In fact, more than twice as many people were hospitalized or died in 2024 than 2023 because of infected food. Interestingly, there were fewer recalls overall, likely a result of less “proactive testing by state and federal regulators,” the article continues.
Two major incidents included Boar’s Head deli meats and the onions found on McDonalds’ Quarter Pounder burgers. Together, they accounted for 11 deaths, close to 100 hospitalizations and many more illnesses, CNN reports. Another outbreak of Salmonella last summer was associated with cucumbers. It’s common for food-borne illnesses to come from produce because fruits and vegetables are often uncooked. Note that bacteria spread can be prevented with thorough handwashing and other sanitary measures.
President Obama enacted The Food Safety Modernization Act in 2011, which put dozens of food-related rules in place, including “good manufacturing practices, agricultural water, sanitary transportation, hazard analysis and mitigation strategies to protect our food.” And the CDC is getting better at detecting and tracing outbreaks with the help of technological advancements, such as whole genome sequencing. This process is akin to giving each germ its own unique barcode, making it much easier to track and connect cases.
Unfortunately, the head of the Food and Drug Administration quit this week in protest of the mass firings and layoffs in the FDA and throughout the government, The Guardian reports. “Specialists in nutrition, infant formula and food-safety response, including 10 staff members responsible for reviewing potentially unsafe food ingredients, were targets of layoffs. In total, 7,000 probationary employees at U.S. Department of Health and Human Services agencies were terminated, The Washington Post notes.
Major names in food safety and consumer protection advocacy have voiced their concerns about the effects these layoffs will have on the food supply chain, per Food Safety Magazine. Their statement urges: “Adequate resources are critical for outbreak response, developing and updating food safety standards, providing science-based industry guidance, and ensuring a well-trained federal-state inspection force to protect the integrity of our food system.”
Safe food for everyone
In addition to government regulations, food safety depends on supplier collaboration and responsible production that prioritizes sustainability, ethical conduct and minimized environmental impact. A great place to learn more about these topics is at The Economist’s 10th Annual Sustainability Week, which includes the event track Regenerative Agriculture and Food Security. The London-based conference also features a new Sustainable Supply Chain and Procurement Summit, and I’m proud to say that I will be presenting on Decarbonization Incentives and Support for Smaller Suppliers. This session will explore how companies weigh sustainability when choosing production locations, implementing new technologies and optimizing delivery routes. Sustainability Week is March 10-12, 2025 — hope to see you there!
