This is the time of years when the food sections of nearly every newspaper and food website will contain articles on food safety and tips to make sure your holidays are disease-free. No matter, the odds are that there will be plenty of day-after stories of people eating under-cooked turkey, raw oysters, or some other ill-prepared or contaminated food.
One of the questions we discussed in our unit on food safety was who exactly is responsible when these foodborne disease outbreaks occur. Is it the consumer who may not have followed the instructions? Or is it the manufacturer, processor, restaurant, or retailer who sold contaminated foods? What about the government who is supposed to keep us safe?
Another issue we discussed was the issue of safety and the level of risk we are willing to assume. Can foods ever be 100% safe? What level of exposure is reasonable?
One thing is certain, if the government was to said no poultry (raw or otherwise) should contain any Salmonella or Campylobacter, none of us would be eating turkey next week. Where do you think the balance is between the benefits and potential burdens of such food safety regulations?
Comments
Hi Professor Edward, I believe food safety is a shared responsibility, and while perfect safety is impossible, setting realistic standards is essential. Manufacturers, regulators, and consumers all play roles in minimizing risk. Completely eliminating pathogens like Salmonella or Campylobacter from raw poultry might be ideal, but it would be impractical and burdensome. Instead, a balance must be struck where industry ensures robust safety practices, government enforces science-based standards, and consumers handle and cook food properly. Collaborative efforts can significantly reduce risks without making food inaccessible or overly costly.
Food safety is a shared responsibility but it is also something that should be dealt with on a top down basis. Where the food that we eat originates from is the government’s regulations on foods. So firstly, they are the most responsible in making sure that consumers are eating safe foods. After strict regulations practical and possible to be enforced are passed, and currently it is not completely possible to eradicate salmonella from poultry, it is the responsibility of the food manufacturer to make sure that their product is free from all contaminants that can make people sick. If they miss something and someone dies that is their fault entirely. However, there are some exceptions to this based off of government regulations. If an individual is to buy something from the store that has known risks because poultry is never 100% safe raw and not cook it all the way they should know the risks that are associated with that before stepping into a kitchen. I would not say it is their fault and they deserved it if they got sick, but I think there should be some responsibility in learning how to deal with raw meat and other food items to keep them safe.