Food Safety

The responsibility for food safety lies at the feet of every person at every level of the food chain. The producers are responsible for growing and/or raising a safe product, the processors are responsible for processing and packaging the product safely, the distributors are responsible for storing and shipping the product safely until it reaches the marketplace, the marketplace is responsible for storing and displaying the product safely until it is sold, and the consumers are responsible for handling the product safely in the domestic arena to ensure those consuming the edible products remain healthy. The federal government is responsible for policing and educating everyone involved at each level of the food chain.

When there is a breakdown of responsibility at any level, people are at risk for becoming mildly to deathly ill. The higher on the food “safety chain” the breakdown occurs, the more lives are affected. Many governmental agencies are involved in keeping America’s food supply safe, and American citizens owe more than they realize to these dedicated offices of food safety.

Everyone involved in food production, from the seed wholesalers to the cook in the kitchen, is responsible for doing their part to keep food safe. Lethal breakdowns can occur anywhere along the food production chain, with the only variable being the number of people sickened and possibly killed. It is up to all concerned to keep “safety” number one when food production is concerned.