Food Borne Illness Report
COLUMBIA - A midwest group wants the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to strengthen its rules on ensuring safe food.
The Missouri Public Interest Research Group (MOPIRG) is advocating to establish a better system so widespread food contamination won't happen. Cases of food borne illnesses have increased compared to last year.
In the last year, 13 people from Missouri have gotten sick from a food borne illness. This cost the state $86,000.
President Obama passed the Food Safety Modernization Act in 2011 to help stop food contamination and food borne illnesses. The FSMA "aims to ensure the U.S. food supply is safe by shifting the focus from responding to contamination to preventing it," according the its website.
Alec Sprague, an advocate for MOPIRG, said that while this act was helpful, it's still not enough. As long as there are outbreaks from food contamination, the act isn't effective.
Common contaminated foods includes produce, eggs and dairy and poultry.