Here’s what that means for you and your next grocery store trip.
Of those, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die of foodborne illnesses in the country annually.
So, why would the FDA suspend a program thats designed to keep the food supply chain safer?
What is being suspended in the FDA?
What does this FDA program do?
Food safety labs use these tests to meet standards for accreditation.
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Its not clear if there are other alternatives in place.
FERN plays a central role in detecting both unintentional foodborne illness outbreaks and intentional contamination events, he confirms.
What does this mean for food safety?
The FDAs suspension of this program doesnt stop food testing or outbreak response, Detwiler explains.
But it does mean labs wont be participating in their regular drills for several months, he says.
Why does this matter?
Essentially, the quality of the data coming out of the program will potentially be reduced.
In the short-term, Detwiler says this is unlikely to make a huge impact.
But if the suspensions continue, it could be problematic for food safety.
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Schaffner agrees that this will likely have an impact on food safety at some point.
The gradual erosion of food safety capabilities in this country is not a good thing, he says.
But the standardized testing to confirm there is consistency across labs is not.
Schaffner also suggests joining a shoppers club at your go-to grocery store chains.
For consumers, the takeaway is this: Stay alert and stay engaged, Detwiler says.
Detwiler calls the programs suspension the warning light on the dashboard of our national food safety system.
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