20.04.2012

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration released its second annual review of the Reportable Food Registry, the program that requires domestic and foreign food makers to report potentially hazardous foods that have entered U.S. commerce.
The program's second year of operation, from Sept. 8, 2010 to Sept. 7 2011, included 882 reports of hazardous human and animal foods, including 225 "primary reports" on particular food items. That compares with the 2,240 reports entered in the first year, of which 229 were primary reports. Despite the drop in secondary reports, the FDA saw the number of "amended reports" -- reports that correct or add to primary reports - increase from 139 to 174 (25%) this year. The increase suggests more facilities are investigating problems and following up on their causes with the FDA.
Salmonella contamination prompted 38.2% of this year's reports, while undeclared allergens accounted for 33.3% and Listeria accounted for 17.8%. That compares similarly with the first year, when Salmonella made 37.6%, undeclared allergens 30.1% and Listeria 14.4%.
E. coli O157:H7 accounted for 0.4% of contaminants reported this year and 2.6% the year before.