Government issues recommendations for the US food safety system.

As many as 81 million illnesses and 9,000 deaths per year are attributable to food-related hazards. Estimated annual costs related to medical treatment and lost productivity due to the 7 major foodborne pathogens range from $6.6 billion to $37.1 billion. Concern about the US food safety system led Congress to commission National Academy of Sciences to undertake the study that resulted in the report Ensuring Safe Food: From Production to Consumption. The Committee to Ensure Safe Food from Production to Consumption was charged with assessing the effectiveness of the current food safety system and providing recommendations on scientific and organization changes needed to increase its effectiveness. Following are highlights from the report.

The committee found that the current US …