CDC reports produce causes 46 percent of foodborne illnesses

By Coral Beach

From The Packer: UPDATED COVERAGE, Jan. 31 -- Research on a decade of foodborne illnesses in the U.S. shows 46 percent were caused by produce, with produce accounting for 23 percent of food-related deaths, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

Data from 1998-2008 is included in a paper written by CDC officials and published in the journal “Emerging Infectious Diseases” online at tinyurl.com/CDC-foodborne-report.

However, another recent report from CDC included good news about food-related illnesses. It says the number of foodborne disease outbreaks reported in 2009 and 2010 declined 32 percent compared with the mean of the preceding five years.

The information in the CDC’s so-called illness attribution report needs to be considered in context, said David Gombas, senior vice president of food safety and technology for the United Fresh Produce Association, Washington, D.C.

“It is important to get this information out,” Gombas said, “but consumers need to remember that the industry has put a lot of new provisions in place since 2008 to improve food safety.”

Gombas also said the research demonstrates how much work is left to be done, especially in the area of education for those in the industry, as well as consumers.

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