Food-Imports:

Who's watching what -and- is it safe?

We probably are all aware of just how many recalls there have been in the news lately for safety reasons related to kids toys, but are you "in the know" about who's watching for your safety when it comes to food-imports?

Here's an article with tips from Environmental Nutrition you should read.

“Chinese food” usually conjures up images of fried rice and moo shu pork from a local Asian restaurant. But the phrase has taken on a rather sinister meaning of late, as contaminated food-imports from China have made their way onto our plates and into the headlines.Though China is the latest to garner attention and concern, it’s not the only country to send contaminated foods across U.S. borders. In the late 1990s parasite-containing raspberries from Guatemala gave nearly 1,400 people diarrhea. And a few years later, scallions grown in Mexico were guilty of transmitting the hepatitis A virus to diners. No country, not even the U.S., produces 100% safe food, as evidenced by recent outbreaks involving spinach, peanut butter and canned chili here at home.

Luckily, recalls and outbreaks of foodborne illness involving food-imports are not everyday occurrences. Nevertheless, their increasing frequency raises concerns. How can you find out where your food comes from and feel sure it’s safe to eat?

Evironmental Nutrition investigated and fills you in on what you can do.

Imports on the Rise.

The U.S. gets food from hundreds of countries and the amount is increasing; food imports have risen by about 15% each year over the past decade. Consumer demand for out-of-season fruits and vegetables and for ethnic foods is part of the reason why.

But besides importing whole foods, manufacturers now import also ingredients. What’s behind that trend? Cost. Foreign suppliers often offer ingredients at cheaper prices. It all adds up to more imports on your plate.

According to The Washington Post, the average American now eats about 260 pounds of imported foods each year—about 13% of what we put in our mouths.

Who’s Watching What?

Despite the recent surge in food imports, only a minuscule amount is actually inspected before being allowed in. A mind-boggling 99% of imported seafood, produce, animal feed and grains pass through U.S. ports uninspected. Imported meat and poultry fare better as they are visually inspected at the border and subject to additional testing.

Why the difference? Two separate agencies, two separate sets of rules, two separate budgets. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is responsible for meat, eggs, poultry and imported fruits and vegetables, while the Food and Drug Administration covers virtually all other foods. But the dollars allocated are anything but equal. The USDA is well funded, thanks, critics say, to political influence from the powerful beef and milk lobbies. The FDA, on the other hand, has undergone major cutbacks in money, staff and facilities in recent years.

Chinese Fish Ban.

However, both the USDA and the FDA have only enough resources to focus on specific foods, sources or producers that present the greatest risk; neither carefully monitors all imports. That leads to reactive, not proactive, policies like this past summer’s crackdown on certain seafood from China.

After repeated violations involving contamination from unapproved drugs and additives, the FDA banned Chinese farm-raised shrimp, eel, catfish, basa (similar to catfish) and dace (similar to carp) from entering the U.S. unless importers can prove shipments are free of contamination.

More Funding Proposed. The good news? There is a small ray of light at the end of the FDA tunnel. An Import Safety Working Group has been established to recommend ways to guarantee the safety of import food shipped into the U.S. And a proposed increase of $48 million for food safety programs would provide the agency with more funding in 2008 to include the hiring of more inspectors.

Likewise, the USDA is making progress. It already requires that importing countries have safety systems comparable to what we have here in the U.S., and is now creating a website that will have an alert system for highlighting problematic produce, slated for launch in the winter of 2008.

Lagging Legislation.

Many experts urge an overhaul of food safety laws. But Congressional action on the Safe Food Act has languished on the Hill since 2005. The act would consolidate eight of the current 12 agencies that deal with food into one unified agency responsible for the safety of the nation’s food supply.

As it stands now, both the USDA and the FDA sometimes function at the same port without sharing resources, including inspectors.

In addition, food safety experts urge swift resurrection of a law that requires country-of-origin labeling on all imported foods. Country-of-origin labeling, dubbed COOL, was mandated by the 2002 Farm Bill and was intended to cover nearly all foods. But thus far it has only applied to retail seafood and even that has not been strictly enforced. Certain labels highlight where a product is from, but only when the maker perceives it as a marketing advantage, such as cheese from France or olive oil from Italy.

Ingredients: The Hidden Imports.

While COOL is a step in the right direction, it has a glaring omission—it does not require disclosure of the growing list of imported ingredients used in processed foods made in the U.S., many of which contain ingredients from several countries. Imported ingredients were behind the recall a few months ago of Robert’s Veggie Booty snack food, which contained a Salmonella-contaminated seasoning imported from China.

What You Can Do.

While imported foods have posed high-profile safety problems, domestic foods are not immune. By and large, our food supply is safe, but there’s no such thing as zero risk. That’s why you need to be ever vigilant about your own food safety practices.

Here’s how to stack the food safety odds in your favor for both domestic and imported foods: