An audit from the Government Accountability Office reveals that there are delays in food safety notifications going out to schools. The delays increase the risk of children becoming sick from tainted food.During recent recalls, including peanut butter contaminated with salmonella, the government failed to disseminate "timely and complete notification about suspect food products provided to schools through the federal commodities program." Such alerts took more than a week to reach schools.
USA Today is reporting that Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack responded by written statement ensuring the public that the safety of school meals is of "utmost importance" and that the USDA is developing a system to get advanced notices when FDA is investigating food safety issues that could lead to recalls.
To read more from USA Today, click here.
To read a summary of the GAO Report School Meal Programs: Changes to Federal Agencies' Procedures Could Reduce Risk of School Children Consuming Recalled Food, click here.
Posted: 09/22/09
