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GAO-10-309R 1 (2010-02-16)

handle is hein.gao/gaobaanrc0001 and id is 1 raw text is: GA 0 Acountabilty I Integrity * Reliability United States Government Accountability Office Washington, DC 20548 February 16, 2010 Congressional Committees Subject: Food Irradiation: FDA Could Improve Its Documentation and Communication of Key Decisions on Food Irradiation Petitions According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), pathogens such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria cause an estimated 14 million cases of foodborne illnesses each year, resulting in about 60,000 hospitalizations and 1,800 deaths. Foodborne illness symptoms can range from mild gastroenteritis to life-threatening renal syndromes. The populations most susceptible to the more serious symptoms include very young children, individuals 60 years and older, pregnant women, and people who have a weakened immune system. In 2007, about 20 to 25 percent of the U.S. population was in this high-risk category. Moreover, consumers' vulnerability to foodborne illness is increasing as a result of changes in demographics, among other things. For example, older Americans will make up an estimated 20 percent of the U.S. population by 2015. The pathogens that account for much of the most severe foodborne illness can be greatly reduced by subjecting food to ionizing radiation, also known as food irradiation. For example, irradiation can eliminate as much as 99.999 percent of E. coli 0157, Listeria, and Campylobacter. On the basis of extensive scientific studies and the opinions of experts, we reported in 2000 that the benefits of food irradiation outweigh the risks.' Moreover, many experts believe that irradiation can be effectively incorporated into an establishment's food safety program to further ensure the safety of the food against pathogens. Irradiation can also be used as a phytosanitary treatment where it is applied at low doses to safeguard natural resources by replacing fumigation or other chemical treatments to eliminate particular plant pests from fruits and vegetables imported into the United States. Three federal agencies have primary responsibility for the oversight of food irradiation.2 The Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), which is responsible for ensuring that U.S. meat, poultry, and 'GAO, Food Irradiation: Available Research Indicates That Benefits Outweigh Risks, GAO/RCED-00- 217 (Washington, D.C.: Aug. 24, 2000). 2Food irradiation facilities that use nuclear materials, such as cobalt-60, must meet the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's design, operating, management, training, and other requirements and are inspected yearly for compliance. GAO-10-309R Federal Oversight of Food Irradiation

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