Nov 13, 2009 4:15 pm US/Eastern
Health: Foodborne Illness Safety
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―
There are new and growing concerns of the safety of our food.
Medical Reporter Stephanie Stahl reports children are hit especially hard by foodborne illnesses, according to a new report. Now there is a new move to make our food safer.
Kevin Kowalcyk was only two-and-a-half years old when he died of complications from E. coli poisoning in 2001.
"It was a twelve day ordeal and at the end he died of a heart attack. He just could not take what was happening to his body," said Patricia Buck, Kevin's grandmother and co-founder of the Center for Foodborne Illness.
The center teamed up with nine other organizations to release a new report that shows approximately half of all reported foodborne illnesses happen in children under the age of 15. And the consequences can be devastating.
"Foodborne illness is not a tummy ache," said Patricia.
The report shows bacteria like listeria, salmonella and E. coli cause a lifetime of health problems including brain and liver damage, vision and hearing loss, neurological problems, even meningitis. Given the recent widespread food poisoning outbreaks, Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey hopes this new study will give momentum to his proposed legislation to improve food safety.
"We have to crack down on this both within the United States and at the border," said Senator Casey.
He tells us the legislation would give more resources to the Food and Drug Administration and other agencies to help inspect facilities, issue recalls, and stop contaminated food from getting in to the United States.
Related Link:
Foodborne Illness Report-
http://www.foodborneillness.org/CFIFinalReport.pdf
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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