Unfortunately, the FDA didn’t decide to tell consumers before it was too late. The recent harmful bacteria contaminations are yet another reason to buy locally grown produce (though not immune to these problems) and grind your own peanut butter (the only ingredients for peanut butter should be peanuts–maybe a little honey). This report was found at HealthDay News.

FDA Knew About Food Problems Before Outbreaks: Report

For years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration knew about contamination problems on California spinach farms and at a ConAgra Foods peanut butter plant in Georgia that resulted in serious salmonella and E. coli outbreaks within the last year, according to documents and interviews.

Even though it knew about the problems, the FDA took only marginal steps to correct the issues and relied heavily on food makers to police themselves, the Washington Post reported. The FDA did this because it didn’t have adequate resources.

The salmonella outbreak in Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter sickened more than 400 people in 44 states. The plant that made the peanut butter has been closed. The E. coli outbreak in California spinach caused 205 illnesses and at least three deaths in 26 states and Canada.

The farm that grew the spinach and the companies that processed and marketed it just settled lawsuits with the families of three women who died.

FDA officials told the Post that changes need to be made in order for the agency to meet the huge growth in the number of food processors and imports. But they said the FDA could not have done anything to prevent the outbreaks caused by the contaminated peanut butter and spinach.

The FDA, which is responsible for safeguarding 80 percent of the United States’ food supply, oversees 60,000 to 80,000 facilities a year.

On Tuesday, a House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce subcommittee is scheduled to hold a hearing on the recent wave of food recalls in the United States, the Post reported.


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