Food Cops & Crooked Reporting
The Wall Street Journal featured a story yesterday morning about government and industry collaborating to create systems to prevent outbreaks of food born illness. The article pointed out that beef is becoming increasingly safe, citing reductions in the number of E-coli outbreaks in the time frame from 1996 to 2004, presumably due to the efforts of industry and government. The article proceeds to claim that beef is imported into the US from only 33 countries, through 33 ports, so there are relatively few potential foreign sources of contaminated beef. Seafood, on the other hand, is imported from almost 14,000 foreign seafood processors, through 400 ports, and accounts for 83% of the seafood consumed in the US. Conclusion: we should feel secure about our beef supply, but be very, very worried about the seafood supply.
I’m troubled by journalists that provide data in different units, so it can’t be directly compared, and then introduce fear of the unknown to make their point. For example, why is the data for beef presented on a country basis, while the data for seafood is presented on a food-processor basis? How do we know there aren’t just as many beef processors in those 33 countries shipping steaks and burgers to the local grocery as there are seafood processors doing the same thing? And, how many countries actually import seafood into the US? Could be its also about 33. We don’t know because THAT data got ‘left out’.
Maybe foreign food is riskier than domestic food. It sounds reasonable, and the economics of food production in the US, under fairly strict US regulations probably does result in less contaminated food making it onto the grocery shelves. On the other hand, just because the paint on some imported products has lead, doesn’t mean we should suddenly fear the food supply that originates off shore. (Of course, if you’re a US farmer, you probably WANT your fellow taxpayers to be afraid of imported food.)
Thing of it is, the last I checked the Salinas Valley, supplier of contaminated Spinach to the US just one year ago, is only about 100 miles south of San Francisco, and about 450 miles from the nearest foreign country. Do the math. And Topp’s Beef Patties are being recalled for E-coli contamination (notice, I did say BEEF). Oh, and Cargill’s ground beef is also being recalled. Perhaps less fear of foreign fish is in order. And less biased reporting.
Also, might not hurt to order your hamburgers well-done for awhile … especially if they use US beef …
– Chris