Foodborne illness is a costly challenge for American businesses and consumers. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each year about 1 in 6 Americans get sick from a foodborne illness, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die. Medical and industry costs of these illnesses exceed $15.5 billion. CDC estimates that reducing foodborne infections by just 10 percent would keep 5 million Americans from getting sick each year.
Promoting a culture of food safety is vital to employees’ health—as well as to America’s businesses, communities and the U.S. economy. The Grocery Manufacturers’ Association reports that grocery-producing companies that have recalled a product in the past five years experienced an estimated financial impact of $10 million to $30 million per recall.
Our food takes a complex route from farm to table, and the food production chain is becoming increasingly centralized and globalized. These challenges require identifying and implementing best practices to keep America’s food safe.
In this issue of Business Pulse, explore how CDC protects America’s businesses, employees and their families by linking illnesses in people to specific foods, and informing food safety policies and practices to make food safer and save lives.
