CSPI says reports of food illnesses down 40 percent

Some of the credit goes to HACCP programs, but incomplete reporting may have contributed.

A new review by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) found reports of food illnesses declined by 40 percent from 2001 to 2010. CSPI says that decline was made possible by improved food safety practices, including the adoption of HACCP plans in the meat, poultry and seafood industries. However, it says the decline may partially be the result of incomplete reporting by understaffed and underfunded public health agencies. The review also found a decline in the percentage of fully investigated outbreaks from 46 percent in 2001 to 33 percent in 2010. An outbreak is considered fully investigated when both the food and pathogen responsible for illness have been identified. Read the full review here.