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Fish, seafood and beef are the usual suspects, but a recent Ipsos/McClatchy online poll about food safety revealed that most Americans generally feel “food safe”:

On the subject of food safety — which grabs headlines periodically when certain foods are recalled or found tainted — Americans give reasonably high marks to the institutions and industries that are entrusted with safeguarding what comes into their kitchens.

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What you need to know:

The FDA and USDA divide the responsibility for overseeing food product safety with 10 smaller government agencies. USDA handles meat products, FDA most of the rest. In some cases the responsibility overlaps (a frozen pizza is the responsibility of the FDA, but if it has pepperoni topping, the USDA is involved as well). The efficacy of having multiple food safety regulatory bodies in the US was questioned once again last year, when the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reported that each year 5000 people die from food-borne illnesses and another 300,000 are hospitalized. Much concern in recent years is imported foods from countries with less stringent food safety agencies. The current melamine fiasco in China is a perfect example.

What to do at the supermarket:

Don’t panic. Most chances are you’re covered. But it does help to be vigilant. When buying fresh fish, seafood or meat products, as well as dairy and cheeses, buy from reputable purveyors. Sniff and examine each product carefully. Ask about an item,  where is it from, when it arrived, was it previously frozen. Always check the “use by” date. At home, before preparing, if something smells a bit funky, don’t take a chance. When preparing, cook fully. A rare-done steak may be considered gourmet dining, but it does increase the risk of getting sick. So does eating raw fish (yes, we sushi lovers are big risk takers).

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