List date(s) this work was published or aired.
Oct-11
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
Each year, some 48 million people–one in six Americans–get sick from something they ate. Contaminated food sends 128,000 victims to the hospital, and it kills 3,000 children and adults. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifies upwards of 1,000 disease outbreaks annually. But these proven epidemics don’t reveal the full scope of the problem: Put simply, our government has failed to act, despite validated interventions that could curb this largely preventable epidemic. Drawing on victims’ dramatic accounts and on researchers’ expertise, “Why Your Food Isn’t Safe” is an eye-opening examination of lapses in the government’s food safety net. Unlike many stories on this topic, however, it brought concrete results. Immediately after the article became public, two federal agencies responsible for different aspects of food safety announced positive changes recommended in the article that will better protect the consumer. “Why Your Food Isn’t Safe” describes four key areas in which the federal food safety net has frayed. The first is the rise of new forms of so-called STECs, or Shiga-toxin-producing E. coli, which now eclipse the familiar E. coli O157:H7 bacteria and are commonly found in meat, dairy products, and fresh produce. Until the USDA’s belated announcement, these organisms were allowed to spread insidiously through the food supply. The second is the confusing and often nonsensical patchwork of federal food safety regulations–under which, for example, the USDA regulates chickens while the FDA regulates eggs. While the FDA oversees 80 percent of the U.S. food supply, it receives only 40 percent of the two agencies’ combined budgets and has been chronically understaffed. The landmark 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act, the largest expansion of the FDA’s authority since the 1930s, has not received funding from a bickering Congress–in effect canceling out the new law’s mandate. The tragic result: potential outbreaks such as the 2008-2009 massive epidemic of Salmonella in products made by the Peanut Corporation of America, which led to nine deaths and more than 700 illnesses in 46 states. The third area of concern is the rising risk from imported foods, which are sometimes produced in places with relatively lax safety standards. Today, 10-15 percent of all foods consumed by U.S. households comes from abroad, including 60 percent of fruits and vegetables. Yet the cash-strapped FDA can physically examine only 2 percent of such imports–a fact that may lead to a rising tide of outbreaks. “Why Your Food Isn’t Safe” concludes by arguing that we need to beef up our food safety budget and put into practice proven methods of reducing foodborne contamination. Preventing deaths and illnesses from tainted food would cost consumers just pennies on the dollar. But it will require political muscle. “My daughter died in 2007, and now it’s 2011, and we’re no further along than when she died,” said Dana Boner, mother of 14-year-old Kayla Boner, who was killed by E. coli O111. The USDA and FDA policy reforms, announced at the time of the article’s publication, are two giant steps in the right direction.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
Scores of scientific papers; online data from USDA, FDA, HHS, CDC, Congressional Research Service, Government Accountability Office, Congressional Budget Office, Congressional offices; online articles and commentary from food safety advocacy groups; online newspaper articles; state government websites; industry trade group websites; food company websites
Explain types of human sources used.
Victims of food poisoning and loved ones of those who have died; USDA officials; FDA officials; food safety advocates; food company officials; US Senator; Congressional staffs; etc.
Results:
During the same week that this article hit the newsstands, two federal agencies made long-awaited reforms that the article had strongly recommended. The United States Department of Agriculture announced on September 12, 2011 that it would extend the ban on E. coli in ground beef to include six toxic strains. Two days later, the Food and Drug Administration announced that it is establishing a foodborne illness outbreak response network.
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
No corrections or clarifications.
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
Dig deep into the scientific literature on the topic, which often undermines government claims. Talk to a wide variety of victims. Ask government officials tough questions.