Food safety doesn’t provoke the same level of public outcry as gun violence and drug addiction, but it is nonetheless a deadly serious epidemic. Food-borne illness affects an estimated 48 million Americans each year, resulting in 3,000 deaths and the hospitalization of 128,000 people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Beyond that, food-borne illness in the U.S. is enormously costly, with an estimated collective annual bill of $55 billion in medical treatment, lost productivity, and lost wages, not to mention litigation expenses.
To Improve Food Inspections, Change the Way They’re Scheduled
Food-borne illness affects an estimated 48 million Americans every year resulting in 3,000 deaths and the hospitalization of 128,000 people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Beyond that, foodborne illness in the U.S. is enormously costly, with an estimated collective annual bill of $55 billion in medical treatment, lost productivity and lost wages, not to mention litigation expenses. Given this immense impact, authors embarked on a research project to try to find ways to improve how local government inspectors handle their daunting task of ensuring that restaurants, hospitals, schools, and supermarkets prepare food safely. These inspections are conducted in much the same way as they have been for decades. The research suggests that they should focus on more thoughtful scheduling as a way to improve outcomes.