Sacramento Bee opines on food safety

The day before Thanksgiving, the opinion writers at the Sacramento Bee praised the state of food safety in California, but said there is still room for improvement. In the editorial, they offered kind words for the role of UC in providing the state's residents with wholesome food.

"Overall, our food supply is very safe," the Bee's editors wrote. "The University of California, Davis, with the Western Institute for Food Safety and Security, is a leader in research and outreach – helping to bring about new practices to improve food safety."

But even with the strength of the state's safety net, there are still some holes to be mended, the article said. In recent years, E. coli 0157:H7 and salmonella outbreaks originating in California have killed and sickened consumers.

The opinion piece quoted California state Senator Dean Florez (D-Shafter), chair of the Senate Food and Agriculture Committee.

"With each new outbreak – almonds in 2004, spinach in 2006, peppers in 2008 (and now beef this past summer) – we find cracks in our food safety and regulatory systems," Florez said.

The opinion writers believe the agriculture industry prefers to rely on voluntary food safety programs, while waiting for the federal government to institute regulations.

"That's one reason bills aimed at tightening the safety net were watered down, vetoed by the governor or held in the Assembly," the story said.

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