The season of resolutions is upon us, and with it comes plenty of nutrition advice, some of it smart, and some not so much. But not even the soundest advice will help if the food we believe to be healthy isn't safe to eat—and unfortunately, we have a significant food safety problem in the U.S.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that foodborne illnesses cause 1 in 6 Americans to get sick every year, leading to 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths. In just the past few months, we've seen large recalls of ground turkey, kale, and onions, among other products. Congress released a worrisome report in September on dangerous heavy metals in food for babies and toddlers. And a recent CR report warned that about one-third of the spices we tested had high enough levels of heavy metals to pose a health concern for kids (and many for adults, too).
In October, the Department of Agriculture launched a new initiative to increase and revamp its testing, which could cut salmonella illnesses from poultry by 25 percent. How chickens are raised is an important issue, as noted in our article "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Costco Chicken," and is one of many other potential food dangers that remain unchecked. We need strict limits on heavy metals in products, including baby foods and spices. We need strong rules to reduce potentially toxic PFAS chemicals in our nation's drinking water. We need better tracking of sources of dangerous foodborne diseases, such as campylobacter, listeria, and E. coli, so consumers can be immediately notified of hazards.
In 2022, it's time for our government leaders, along with the food industry, to make their own resolution: to quit the glacial and weak response to these food safety risks. Instead, let's accelerate the work and apply the best science to address the broad array of food dangers putting Americans in jeopardy. It's the perfect commitment for ringing in the new year, protecting Americans for years to come.
Editor's Note: This article also appeared in the January 2022 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.