Food Protection Plan And Its Applying On Practise - Research Paper Example

Food Protection Plan And Its Applying On Practise Introduction Food industry is a composite business which provides food for human consumption worldwide. The requirement of food is increasing day by day due to rising population. Therefore, the demand of food industry is also increasing. The production of diverse and abundant food to sustain the demand is the need of the day. Varied demographics, new trend of consumption, innovations in food production technology, and novel business practices, ready-to-eat food technologies offers new threats for providing safest food to the customer (Shuren 17987). Therefore, supply of cheapest and safest food becomes an immense challenge. Food safety practices should be employed in all the countries to provide safe products for domestic and international consumers in view of public health safety. It is primary duty of regulatory agencies to ensure the food product which reaches to the consumer for consumption should be safe to avoid potential health hazards. Food delivery to the consumer in the United States is one of the most trustworthy food supplies. United States imports around 15% of the food by volume from other countries. In this, fresh fruits and vegetables accounts to 60%, while import of seafood products is about 75% (Shuren 17987). In the United States, there are two main government organisations which are responsible for food safety: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which is responsible for the safety of nonvegetarian products like meat, poultry, and processed egg products, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is accountable for other food products (Walker 1). For more than 100 years, FDA is looking after safety of 80 percent of all food products sold in the United States (Shuren 17987). Government Accountability Office has reported that this regulatory system adopted in US is fragmented and therefore increases intricacies of the system due to improper coordination, and inadequate use of resources. There is a need to provide a uniform food safety system for nation’s health objective. USDA inspectors examine meat, poultry, and processed egg facilities daily, but other food products inspection by FDA inspectors is not mandatory (Walker 1). The synergistic relationship between these two primary regulatory agencies would create focused efficacious approach to protect the nation’s food supply (Walker 8). Food safety practices like food recalls should be controlled by federal agencies like USDA and FDA (instead of respective food company to volunteer the job) to remove potentially dangerous and unreliable food from the production line of the company, distribution line, and the market place (Walker 6). These food recalls should reach to customer by direct notification or sending notices to the grocery stores, and prevent them from using these unsafe products. Food recall programs should be effectively tracked and managed by federal regulatory agencies, so that companies could be held responsible for not taking action on food recalls (Walker 12). USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is established to take care of meat, poultry, and egg food products safety management to protect public health from intentional and unintentional food contamination. The inspectors and veterinarians are employed to prevent, detect, and respond to food safety issues by monitoring production, loading, storage and distribution channels (FSIS 4). A national surveillance system of the FSIS inspects food-related consumer eventualities like illness or injury and use the collected information investigate and identify potentially harmful food products. This aids in finding out patterns of illnesses, adulterated food products, or intentional tampering (FSIS 6). The consumers should be aware what they are eating in order to protect their own health. Genetically modified food (GM) has given rise to whole set of new questions and controversies from health benefits and risk angles. When the people are consuming transgenic animal and plant products human health and safety issues should be very well addressed. Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act is responsible for labeling of food additives on food packing. But, the consumer should precisely know what all they are eating when the whole food product is consumed. Generally Recognised As Safe (GRAS) food products are not labeled as per FDA regulation. But, it is right of the customer to understand clearly health benefits as well as risk factors involved of any consumed GM or non GM food products. It should be mandatory to label all food products (GM or non GM) as a whole food (Omaye 304). It becomes responsibility of the government to inform, educate, and interact clearly with the customers about the safety issues of all food categories with taking the consumers in confidence. In addition to this, it is necessary that the consumers should be aware of food safety standards in their own homes which includes food storage, food handling and cooking. Individual should follow some basic food safety guidelines to prevent unwanted health concerns. It is necessary to maintain temperature of the refrigerator at around 50C and deep freezer at -180C to inhibit bacterial growth in the stored food. Basic cleaning and washing practices should be followed in the kitchen to prevent food contamination either from hand, vessels, surfaces and other accessories which are used for food preparation. The cross contamination with vegetarian and nonvegetarian food should be avoided to avoid microbial load transfer. The good should be properly cooked to safe temperatures. The customers should carefully observed packing and sealing for fresh, packaged, or canned food to ensure its intactness. The labels on the packaged products should be read carefully for any instructions, expiry date or advice (FSIS 5). After opening the package and before the consumption, the visual quality check should be done to check integrity, discoloration or any microbial growth. If the consumer comes across any issues regarding food safety in the food products not containing meat or poultry, he should contact Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at 1-888-SAFE FOOD (1-888-723-3366). For any concerns regarding meat or poultry product USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854); TTY: 1-800-256-7072 should be contacted (FSIS 6). Food borne illness is caused by the consumption of the infectious or toxic food products. Microbial Safety of Food is very important to prevent food poisoning and related symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or fever. Onset of clinical manifestations of food poisoning occurs between 1 hour and up to 3 weeks after eating polluted food. High risk individuals include children, aged persons, pregnant women, suppressed immune system individuals, chronic disorder (diabetes) sufferers, cancer patients etc. Growing trend of foodborne disorders and introduction of new pathogens poses new challenges from public health point of view. Center of disease control and prevention CDC has reported 76 million fooborne disease cases annually with 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths in United States (Shuren 17987).To prevent foodborne illness state health departments play vital role. For example in 2006, it has been investigated that E. coli pathogen has contaminated spinach and gave positive and matching genetic fingerprints to the outbreak pattern (Bowman & Brooks 06-76). The state or local health departments are also responsible for inspection in food outlets like restaurants, retail bakeries, and "take outs to prevent, eliminate, or reduce food created disorders. The through inspection in every part of the facility until the food reaches to the customer is the strategy to reach safe food to the consumer. In 2003, the Health Department employed a grading methodology for readymade food outlets to inhibit food poisoning in the city’s restaurants. This was a positive and motivating step by the state government to implement new safety standards to prevent food borne illness (New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene). The effective communication between national, state, local regulatory authorities and the food industry is important to take proactive actions on consumer complaints, inspection data, positive test results, adverse event reports and other reports of illness (Shuren 17988). The food control jurisdictions of the government are supported by US FDA through a strategy of ‘Food Code’. The retail and service segment of the food industry (hotels and grocery shops and institutions such as nursing homes are scientifically, technically and legally advised by Food Code. Appropriate food safety guidelines are developed by local, state, tribal, and federal regulators inconsistent with national food regulatory policy, Food Code. It has been reported that in 2005, 48 states and territories (79% of the U.S. population) in US have embraced structured Food Code policies for regulation of food safety issues (FDA Food Code). Agroterrorism is the new threat to safe food supply from plant and animals. USDA, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Department of Defense (DOD) are involved in to safeguard the nation from deliberate food terrorism (Walker 13). The multitude of problem arises in the management, for example immediate removal of affected animal vaccine is not possible due to various issues. This limits the fight against agroterrorism of regulatory agencies. The transfer of inspectors from USDA to DHS led to less manpower for examination at nation’s port entry (Walker 13). Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) is a process to ensure safe food production. It consists of adhering to Standard operating procedures, to identify and carry out health hazard analysis, and rectify the unwanted deviation from the established procedures (Omaye 286). For the safety assessment of new food ingredients, toxicological testing is carried out to prevent or allow food components to be used in developing food products (Omaye 37). Food safety and inspection service of USDA has declared to establish cooperative educational and research organization called ‘Food Safety Institute of the Americas’ to propagate food safety practices. This organisation would help in implementing common food safety standards throughout America through educational programs (Pierson). A comprehensive Food Protection Plan of FDA (November 2007 plan) would be conveyed to public through a public docket. This strategy would help in clear and open communication between the stakeholder, customer and government about the food safety approach (Shuren 17987). To tackle and prevent food problems FDA should be allowed to take actions against intentional adulteration done by terrorists or criminals at critical high risk elements in the food chain. These vulnerability assessments would help to combat terrorism immediately and proactively. FDA should be given free hand to employ additional safety measures for high-risk foods. FDA registered facilities should renew their FDA approval once in 2 years for quality safe food supply (Shuren 17988). Conclusion The supply of abundant, cheapest, diverse and safest food becomes an immense challenge in developing world. Well developed regulatory systems in all the countries are need of the day to protect public health from dynamic health threats and nurture positive public health. It is necessary that the consumers should be aware of food safety standards in their own homes which include food storage, food handling and cooking. It is right of the customer to understand clearly health benefits as well as risk factors involved of any consumed genetically modified (GM) or non GM food products. It becomes responsibility of the government to inform, educate, and interact clearly with the customers about the safety issues of all food categories with taking the consumers in confidence. The effective communication between national, state, local regulatory authorities and the food industry is important to take proactive actions on consumer complaints, inspection data, positive test results, adverse event reports and other reports of illness. FDA's ability to tackle challenges and prevent food problems could be enhanced by delegating more authority to them. The coordinated efforts from government, producers, processors, educators, scientists, and consumers are necessary to safeguard the interest of food safety. References Walker, David M. Testimony Before The Subcommittee On Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA, And Related Agencies, Committee On Appropriations, House Of Representatives. Federal Oversight of Food Safety. High-Risk Designation Can Bring Needed Attention To Fragmented System. GAO-07-449T, Feb 2007. Pierson, Merle. Food Safety Policy at USDA: The Road from an Ambitious Vision to Tangible Results, at the International Association for Food Protection's 91st Annual Meeting, Phoenix, AZ. (Aug 10, 2004). http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Speech_081004_Pierson/index.asp. Omaye, Stanley. Food and nutritional toxicology. CRC Press, 2004. Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Food Safety and Security: What Consumers Need to Know, First Issued September 2003, Last Modified: November 20, 2008. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/topics/foodsec_cons.pdf FDA Food Code. Food and Drug Administration. 2007-10-05. http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/foodcode.html#intro. Shuren, Jeffrey. “Food Protection Plan; Outreach Activities; Opportunity for Public Comment”. Federal Register, 73 (64) (April 02, 2008):17987-17989. http://regulations.vlex.com/vid/food-plan-outreach-opportunity-comment-37854563 Bowman, Mike & Brooks, Lea. State Health Department Announces Test Results Match Genetic Fingerprints To E. Coli Outbreak, California Department of Health Services, October 12, 2006 (Number 06-76). http://www.applications.dhs.ca.gov/pressreleases/store/pressreleases/06-76.html The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Restaurant inspection information, http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/doh/html/rii/index.shtml Read More