Coordination needed for food emergencies.There is no way to guarantee the safety of U.S. food and agricultural products, and confusion within governmental agencies may slow down response time should supply chains be attacked, said one expert. "I think there's a perception out there that we should be able to say 'this agency is responsible at all times for the safety and security for our food and agriculture system.' [But] that simply is not the case," Dave Filson Filson can refer to:
n. The state of being prepared, especially military readiness for combat. Noun 1. preparedness - the state of having been made ready or prepared for use or action (especially military action); "putting them and response coordinator for the Penn State Cooperative Extension, said at a Capitol Capitol, seat of the U.S. Congress Capitol, seat of the U.S. government at Washington, D.C. It is the city's dominating monument, built on an elevated site that was chosen by George Washington in consultation with Major Pierre L'Enfant. Hill briefing. "Our ability to ensure with zero risk that our food and agricultural system is absolutely, positively protected is something we cannot do." He pointed to last year's outbreak of E. coil, which killed three people and sickened hundreds. The bacteria were traced back to spinach spinach, annual plant (Spinacia oleracea) of the family Chenopodiaceae (goosefoot family), probably of Persian origin and known to have been introduced into Europe in the 15th cent. grown in California California (kăl'ĭfôr`nyə), most populous state in the United States, located in the Far West; bordered by Oregon (N), Nevada and, across the Colorado River, Arizona (E), Mexico (S), and the Pacific Ocean (W). and sold with little processing. That risk was contained quickly, he said, but what would happen if the nation's food or agricultural system were deliberately tampered with? Although there is a substantial response plan in place, Filson said that communication among agencies could always be better. In the event of a food emergency, agencies on the local, state and federal level could potentially be involved, from the county emergency management agencies to the Department of Homeland Security Noun 1. Department of Homeland Security - the federal department that administers all matters relating to homeland security Homeland Security executive department - a federal department in the executive branch of the government of the United States . There is a high potential for confusion between agencies as the response changes from detection and prevention to response and recovery, he added. "As we move through incidents, the responsible agency is going to change depending on whether we're doing preparation and preparedness or whether we're in a response mode." It would be easy for one agency to become confused about its role as the emergency evolves. The food supply in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. is safe for the most part, Filson stressed. Most facilities have quality control standards in place and do regular testing of their products. Although there have been several high-profile food contamination issues recently, Americans should take them as positive signs of improvement, he said. "I think our food supply is being scrutinized to a greater degree than what it has in the past and science has allowed us to detect to a greater level many of the things that may have slipped through the cracks years ago." Email your comments to SMagnuson@ndia.org |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion