A few months ago I attended the national conference of the
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in Chicago. Always interested in our food
supply, I sat in on a panel of experts that are responsible for insuring our
food products are safe.
You know that feeling that you can un-see what you've seen? You
can't unlearn what you know. Yeah, it's like that.
For the next hour I learned about the horrific things that are
found in our foods. This occurs on a regular basis whether we know it or
not. These governmental watchdogs try to put a stop to it, but the
skeptic in me wondered what gets past the pros? This particular session focused
on our seafood supply. Even now I shudder to think about the "near
misses" I've had when trying to eat. So far it hasn't killed me.
But I keep thinking, you never know.
Or can you? When I got back I signed up for the Food Safety and
Inspection Service produced by the United States Department of Agriculture Food
Safety and Inspection Service. That's a mouthful, but this site provides
regular emails that alert me to recalls and unsafe foods before it hits mass
media. I figure it's my duty as a health professional to protect my family
and my community, and trust me, if I thought it was a critical issue, I would
be sounding the alarm.
A lot of it has to do with undeclared allergens or foreign
suppliers failing to complete inspections. Our panel of experts said a lot of
times it's about passing off an expensive fish fillet for a cheap ones.
Sometime the buyers can't even tell and I'm sure consumers can't. I wonder if
we ever really know what we are getting.
Today's recall notice:
Washington, March 1, 2018 - Sensenig Turkey Farm LLC, a Lititz,
Pa. establishment, is recalling approximately 1,925 pounds of turkey sausage
products due to misbranding and undeclared allergens, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The
products contain wheat and soy, known allergens, which are not declared on the
product label. The raw breakfast turkey sausage items were produced on various
dates from Sept. 25, 2017 to Feb 26, 2018.
Well, first of all I'm wondering why this food is so old? It was made in September? Strike one. Next, I want to know why there is wheat and soy in a meat product? How much grain can go into sausage before it has to be labeled as something other than meat? Strike two. And strike three, it is mislabeled and I'm not getting what I think I am paying for. I hate that.
Here is the link in case you want to stay up nights wondering when you're luck is going to run out with the next mouthful of food: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USFSIS/subscriber/new
All kidding aside, we live in a country that for the most part, provides a safe environment for consumers. While others struggle to find clean water each and every day, we walk to the nearest faucet for ours. We have access to organic foods if we so desire. Or like me, and many others, we dig up our back yards, shun herbicides and pesticides, and harvest foods knowing exactly where they come from. No middle man, except Mother Nature.
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