Should You Blame Yourself for Food-Borne Illnesses?

(Sept. 13) -- Americans have been hearing a lot lately about food safety. And for good reason.

The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths each year are due to food-related illnesses. According to a report by Pew Charitable Trusts and Georgetown University, illnesses caused by food cost the U.S. an estimated $152 billion a year; that works out to an average cost of $1,850 each time someone gets sick from food.

Some blame the increasing commercialization and globalization of the food supply. The complexity of the global supply chain can create gaps in the monitoring of our food safety. Others cite the lack of sufficient regulatory oversight. Last year, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would grant the Food and Drug Administration enhanced authority over the food supply to trace contaminated food back to its origin, recall it and punish companies that knowingly sell tainted products. A companion bill will soon be up for a vote in the Senate.

While this new legislation can help, it's no substitute for better food safety practices at home, something that too often is lacking in our nation's kitchens.

NSF International, a nonprofit public health and safety organization, recently conducted a survey to determine awareness and misconceptions of food safety behaviors in the home among a cross section of Americans. The results were interesting and surprising -- and, in some instances, contradictory.

Take for example a staple of many American tables, especially in these economic times -- leftovers. Fifteen percent of consumers surveyed are saving leftovers longer than they should -- the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends a limit of about four days. At the same time, more than double that number, 36 percent, are throwing out food before it's necessary.

That second statistic, interestingly, skews according to demographics. Half (50 percent) of Hispanics and African-Americans surveyed are discarding leftovers after just a day or two -- well before they safely need to -- compared with just 29 percent of Caucasians. There is room, in other words, for certain populations to enjoy those tasty leftovers for a longer period of time -- and get more meals out of leftovers -- and do so safely.

There are, however, areas where Americans need to be a little more cautious. According to the survey, only 20 percent of us use a food thermometer to determine if meat is cooked to the proper temperature -- meaning the other 80 percent of the population is using unreliable sources such as sight, smell and taste to determine if food is cooked to a safe temperature.

Also, nearly half (46 percent) of respondents "always or sometimes" eat food that has been kept at room temperature for more than two hours, which is not considered safe practice.

In addition, 20 percent of respondents risk illness by not properly washing hands after handling meat, or by incorrectly defrosting (e.g., leaving meat on a counter to melt), which results in a breeding ground for bacteria.

Interestingly, Americans seem to be more careless about fruits and vegetables than meat.

Forty percent of survey respondents admit they don't always bother to wash prepackaged fruits and vegetables. With more Americans recognizing the positive health benefits of fruits and vegetables -- and making purchases based on these benefits -- it becomes even more important to wash open bags of produce not labeled pre-washed before eating them.

Eating healthy is naturally about what's on the plate. It is also about the process of getting it there. Being more careful about both is what good eating is all about.

Tom Chestnut is vice president of supply chain food safety and quality at NSF International, which operates in more than 120 countries. The NSF International Food Safety Survey was fielded via ORC CARAVAN Telephone Omnibus between July 22 and 25 among a nationally representative sample of 1,000. Additional information can be found at http://www.nsf.org/info/foodsafety/.