“Food Safety Culture” Spreading In The U.S., Professor Says

Most of the cases of foodborne illnesses are not “acts of God” but are the result of lapses in human behavior, according to a Kansas State University professor. Douglas Powell says that the last 10 years in the U.S. have seen the gradual development of a “food safety culture,” thanks to several highly-publicized food contamination outbreaks. It is the spread of this culture among farms, processors, retailers, restaurants and consumers at home – rather than legislation, policy and training – that will reduce the number of Americans sickened by foodborne pathogens, Powell says. Other trends noted by Powell: increased public exposure to food safety information; realization that fresh produce, not just meat, is a source of food contamination; and increased use of DNA technology and tools to better understand foodborne illnesses.