Reports of E. coli hit 5-year low, Salmonella and others remain a problem

Reports of illnesses linked to food-borne E. coli bacterial outbreaks hit a five-year low in 2009. All other pathogen reports however, rose last year.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, efforts to reduce the amount of E. coli-related illnesses and deaths linked to contaminated food have worked. It appears the federal effort to reduce E. coli infections came at the cost of monitoring foods for other pathogens.

All other bacterial pathogens were reported in food products at levels above the federal goal level. Reports of Salmonella, Campylobacter, Listeria, Vibrio and Cryptosporidium infections, which resulted in recalls of food products, illnesses and deaths, rose in 2009.

We’ve reported consistently on the constant stream of food products recalled due to bacterial infections. Due to limited resources at the federal level, and the willingness to allow makers of some of the most susceptible foods to carry these pathogens to police themselves means efforts to reduce E. coli infections is a case of rearranging deck chairs.

As long as federal food inspection jobs remain vacant at the Food and Drug Administration and the Dept. of Agriculture, efforts like the one given to reduce E. coli infections can not be given consistently for all known pathogens.

Federal officials told The Washington Post that the rate of Salmonella infections in 2009 was unacceptable.

The U.S. Senate is currently waiting to pass sweeping legislative changes to the food safety process. The new bill would open more revenue streams for regulators to fill these vacant positions, and also gives the FDA to fine food makers or shut them down for consistent violations.