Risk assessments blamed for delay in regulations

People may be at risk of foodborne illnesses because US federal agencies are concentrating on risk assessments for policymaking, which delay regulations needed to prevent the illnesses, a US consumer representative said this week, the Food Chemical News Caroline Smith DeWaal of the Center for Science in the Public Interest criticised government actions over the last decade that balanced economic interests against human life and health at a meeting convened by Resources for the Future in Washington, D.C. "The pendulum has swung too far,"​ DeWaal said. "Is risk assessment the servant or the master?"​ Even though the US government is addressing foodborne pathogens like Listeria and Salmonella by conducting risk assessments, delays exist, she said. USDA's proposed rule to combat Listeria, which is based on the draft risk assessment, is still pending, and there are still no on-farm controls for Salmonella, she said. FDA's Bob Buchanan disagreed with DeWaal's claim and said many government agencies "have taken a conservative approach to risk"​ on food safety issues. USDA in its proposal designated a zero tolerance level for Listeria in ready-to-eat foods, he said. Source: Food Chemical News​