— OPINION — Thirty years ago this summer I went to work as administrator of USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) after the landmark Jack in the Box outbreak, caused by hamburger contaminated with a dangerous form of E. coli . Four young children died and hundreds of people were made gravely ill.
We acted promptly to make selling such E. coli-contaminated ground beef unlawful. It was common sense to do that.
And it worked. Many needless deaths and permanent life-changing injuries have been prevented. Today, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack is moving to take similar action targeting dangerous forms of Salmonella in poultry.
I’m involved now on behalf of STOP Foodborne Illness , the non-profit that was formed by parents whose children had been killed or seriously injured in the Jack in the Box outbreak. Inspired by their example, STOP works with illness victims and their families to strengthen food safety policies and practices in government and the food industry. Illness victims like Noah are in the forefront.
As a two-year old toddler, Noah was one of many victims of the 2013 outbreak caused by Salmonella Heidelberg in chicken. This dangerous form of Salmonella wracked Noah’s small body with infection, resulting in a brain abscess that required surgery and caused permanent damage that Noah will struggle all his life to overcome. It’s on behalf of Noah that we advocate for food safety and will work with anyone sharing our goal of preventing illness from danger.