The E. Coli outbreak linked to Quarter Pounders at McDonald's is just the latest in a rash of food safety problems that have prompted recalls and health alerts. Costco recently recalled some chicken and seafood products due to listeria concerns, and Boar's Head deli meats recalled millions of pounds of products last summer due to health and safety issues.
All of these stories are happening at the same time a new Gallup survey finds Americans' trust in government on food safety has hit a record low. Still, the FDA is trying to ease that doubt, stating "the U.S. food supply remains one of the safest in the world." And the FDA is mostly right, according to Sherif Mityas, CEO of BRIX holdings, which owns several major restaurants. "Mistakes happen, and cleanliness issues can arise at factories and plants, but on the whole, if you think about the quantity of food that moves through the U.S. food supply---both from a grocery and restaurant perspective---the percentage of affected food is minute," he says. "And consumers should still feel good about going out."
That isn't to say that companies don't have a responsibility to do more to win back the public's trust when recalls happen. "When there is a problem or a mistake made with their food supply, they have to go overboard," he tells KTRH. "They have to then show everyone transparently their food supply chain, the controls they've put in place, the processing they've put in place to regain that trust...and it takes time, there's no question."
In years past, companies like Jack in the Box and Chipotle had to do just that after facing food health scares, and were able to do so after a certain amount of time. Still, Mityas reminds people to keep some perspective when it comes to the safety of the food you eat. "You actually have a better chance of being struck by lightning than you do of getting sick from consuming food at a restaurant or grocery store," he says.
Photo: Getty Images