Egg Recall: Does the FDA Have Egg Safety Under Control?
'World News' wants to know what you think. Share your comments below.
Aug. 21, 2010— -- The Food and Drug Administration has yet to determine the source of salmonella that sparked a recall of nearly 500 million eggs last week. The agency is believed to be responsible for nearly 2,000 reported cases of llness.
The Wall Street Journal reported today that the salmonella outbreak could have been prevented if the agency's new rules had been in place earlier this summer. But some food safety experts said the massive recall is a sign of continuing widespread problems in the industry.
"Clearly, it's a broken system in need of new regulation. This mega recall is a perfect example of a reaction to a problem, but what we need is preventive control," said David Acheson, managing director of food safety at Leavitt Partners.
The FDA's rules, which went into effect July 9, give the agency more authority to inspect egg-processing facilities.
Experts said those measures are important but are effective only if tough enforcement is put into place.
"Regulation is key, but without the capacity to implement it, it's just a paper tiger," said Acheson.
Our question to you today: Do you believe the FDA has egg safety under control?
