Tension hangs in the air during this episode of shared crisis and panic. The COVID-19 pandemic aided the growing awareness of potential infectious breakouts. The most recent data illustrates that foodborne illnesses increased 21% from 2017 to 2018. 48 million people in the US experience foodborne illnesses every year. Livestock and poultry were the leading cause of foodborne illnesses, and even though this remains the current assumption, consumer trends of intaking more fresh and prewashed produce shifted to fruits and vegetables as the primary source of foodborne breakouts.

These factors of risk continue to grow and vary. Large scale processing and production poses extreme peril for cross contamination, resulting in 99 Million LBS of soiled commodities last year. The Trump administration also slowed efforts in regulation procedures. Two government agencies, the FDA and the USDA overlap in fields of authority, confusing performance in these matters. Not to mention, the labor conditions in which yield is being harvested also contributes vitally to the increasing outbreak of hazardous stock. Overworked and underpaid employers are discouraged from voicing their need for humane treatment as trying circumstances provide no time for the opportunity. The Immigration and Customs Agency (ICE) introduces a fear-factor of deployment, therefore misdirecting concerns from health-safety protocols to the worker’s own safety.

In the wake of COVID-19, stakes of the human condition have never been higher. However, no matter the measures of caution we as a population take to ensure the general well-being of each other, Erik D. Olson, a senior director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, proclaims it is the government’s ultimate responsibility to successfully regulate harmless and reliable food distribution. As a common vulnerable citizen, I possess an unwavering ideal that this is definitely the most common consensus. A quote by Olson that rung true to me spoke, “You can’t shop your way out of this problem.”

Watch this video for more information on foodborne illnesses:

Original Article Link: https://thefern.org/2020/02/are-outbreaks-of-foodborne-illness-getting-worse/